The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is set to introduce a digital shift ahead of the 2027 general elections by launching downloadable Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for voters who have lost or defaced their original cards.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, announced this during a courtesy visit by the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday.
Amupitan clarified that the downloadable option is not for first-time registrants but is strictly a replacement window, requiring affected voters to formally lodge a complaint at least 90 days before an election.
To ensure a seamless transition, the commission will pilot the downloadable PVC technology during the upcoming off-cycle Osun State governorship election in August.
In tandem with this digital card initiative, Amupitan revealed that INEC is finalising an advanced technology that will soon allow eligible citizens to complete their voter registration entirely online.
This upcoming feature aims to eliminate the need for physical biometric capture at INEC offices, thereby removing barriers to registration and curbing the feeling of voter disenfranchisement across the country.
Despite these technological strides, the INEC boss emphasised that administrative and digital triumphs mean nothing without a deeply informed electorate.
He noted that even if the commission deploys the most sophisticated Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines and upgrades the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) to international standards, the efforts will fail if citizens remain detached, cynical, or uneducated about the power of their votes.
Consequently, he tasked the NOA with leading a robust national reorientation campaign to bridge the civic knowledge gap.
Amupitan further lamented the destructive impact of disinformation on Nigeria’s democratic process, citing a viral video that falsely accused INEC of warehousing over 400,000 PVCs to favour a specific political party during the recent Ekiti State off-cycle governorship election.
Upon close scrutiny, the cards in question were discovered to be political party membership cards rather than official PVCs.
He warned that such malicious narratives only serve to discourage patriotism, causing willing voters to stay at home under the false impression that their votes will not count.
Calling for a strategic partnership, the INEC Chairman urged the NOA to leverage its grassroots network and communication expertise to counter fake news and educate the public on the commission’s existing digital tools.
He highlighted that voters can already use dedicated applications to locate their polling units online before election day to avoid confusion.
Amupitan concluded by stating that INEC cannot build a robust democracy in isolation, urging the NOA to help rewrite the national narrative and restore public confidence in the electoral system.
