The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that collection of newly printed Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) will commence nationwide on October 9, 2026, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The commission disclosed this in Kaduna State during its North-West Zonal Interactive Meeting on its preparedness for the 2027 elections.
The Supervising National Commissioner for Kaduna, Mohammed Haruna, said INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, had also communicated the collection schedule to the Emir of Zazzau during a courtesy visit.
Haruna urged traditional rulers to encourage eligible citizens to collect their PVCs and exercise their constitutional right to vote.
He also identified possible administrative challenges, including late opening of polling units, perceived bias by electoral officials and poor responses to technical problems, as issues that could undermine public confidence and create room for disinformation.
Amupitan said the Kaduna meeting was part of a six-zone interactive meeting and readiness assessment tour ahead of the 2027 elections, which are scheduled to be conducted simultaneously across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Earlier, INEC Director of Planning and Monitoring, Helen Ajayi, said the zonal exercise was aimed at assessing states’ preparedness, identifying operational challenges ahead of the elections and ensuring that staff remained aligned with the commission’s code of conduct.
