The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has begun displaying the preliminary voters’ register and distributing Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) as part of its preparations for the 2027 general elections.
The seven-day exercise, scheduled for October 9 to 15, 2026, allows registered voters to verify their details, raise claims or objections and collect PVCs from the first phase of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) conducted between August and December 2025.
In Plateau State, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. Sam Egwu, said the exercise would take place across all 207 Registration Areas, including weekends, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.
In a statement issued in Jos on Thursday, Egwu explained that the exercise was being conducted in line with Section 19(1) of the Electoral Act 2026, which requires INEC to display the voters’ register at least 90 days before a general election.
He urged registered voters to check their names, photographs, dates of birth, polling units and other registration details to identify errors and submit any claims or objections within the period provided.
Egwu added that PVCs for voters captured during the first phase of the CVR, which ran from August 18 to December 10, 2025, would be available for collection during the exercise.
Similarly, the REC in Sokoto State, Umar Garba, confirmed the commencement of the exercise while addressing journalists at the Nigeria Union of Journalists Press Centre.
Garba said the initiative was part of INEC’s efforts to ensure that eligible voters could confirm their registration details and obtain their PVCs ahead of the 2027 elections.
He clarified, however, that cards relating to lost or damaged PVCs, voter transfers, updates and registrations carried out during the second and third phases of the CVR were not yet ready for collection.
According to him, INEC would announce when those cards would be available. He added that collection would continue at the commission’s offices across Sokoto’s 23 local government areas after the Registration Area exercise ends on October 15.
He said the arrangement would give eligible voters who were unable to collect their cards at the Registration Area centres another opportunity to do so.
On security, Garba said INEC had continued to collaborate with security agencies throughout the voter registration process, noting that their guidance had helped ensure the exercise proceeded safely without casualties.
He assured eligible voters that the commission remained committed to distributing PVCs across the state.
Garba also disclosed that INEC was consulting security agencies to determine the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Sokoto State and identify ways to enable them to participate in the 2027 elections.
He said the commission was working to facilitate voting for displaced persons living in officially recognised camps.
The REC added that INEC would announce the total number of registered voters in Sokoto State in due course.
