The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has announced that nationwide collection of Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, will commence on Friday, October 9, 2026, ahead of the 2027 general elections.

INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja during a strategic workshop for media executives organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors in collaboration with the commission.

The exercise will cover Nigerians who recently registered as voters, transferred their voting locations or applied for replacement of damaged voter cards. The commission said the cards would be made available at designated Local Government Area collection centres.

Amupitan said the three-phase Continuous Voter Registration exercise produced more than 10.7 million new registrations, while the completion of the final Automated Biometric Identification System cleanup has pushed the national register of voters above 103 million.

The INEC chairman also said the commission had introduced printable PVC technology to reduce delays associated with obtaining voter cards, particularly for people whose cards are lost or stolen. He added that technology was being strengthened to prevent compromised voter credentials from being exploited by unauthorised persons.

Amupitan further warned political parties, candidates and their supporters against violence and interference with the campaigns and rallies of rival parties as preparations for the 2027 elections intensify. He said INEC would take violations of electoral rules seriously, including conduct capable of undermining peaceful participation.

The commission has also said it is upgrading electoral technologies, including the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and electronic result management systems, while strengthening collaboration with the media and other stakeholders to improve public trust and counter misinformation ahead of the 2027 polls.