The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced October 9, 2026, as the date for the nationwide collection of newly issued Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, disclosed this on Monday in Kaduna during the Commission’s North-West Zonal Interactive Meeting with Staff and Readiness Assessment for the 2027 elections. The announcement has also been reported by multiple Nigerian news outlets.
The development follows the conclusion of three phases of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise conducted between August 2025 and July 2026.
According to INEC, the exercise recorded 10,772,421 new registrants, although the figures remain subject to verification through the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS).
INEC Orders Removal Of PVC Collection Bottlenecks
Amupitan directed electoral officials to identify and address operational gaps that could prevent eligible Nigerians from collecting their PVCs.
He particularly highlighted the need to tackle bottlenecks at the Local Government Area (LGA) level, where electoral officials will have direct responsibility for implementing key aspects of the exercise.
The INEC chairman said the readiness assessment was part of a six-zone national engagement designed to evaluate the Commission’s preparedness, identify challenges affecting field operations and develop solutions ahead of the 2027 elections.
He stressed that the effectiveness of electoral personnel at the grassroots would be critical to the overall conduct of the polls.
“The true success of any election is not decided solely in the meeting rooms of our headquarters in Abuja. It is decided in the field.”
Amupitan Warns INEC Officials Against Partisan Conduct
The INEC chairman also warned electoral officials against partisan conduct and administrative negligence.
He said neutrality and professionalism would remain important to maintaining public confidence in the electoral process, while urging personnel to use the zonal meetings to identify challenges and work with the headquarters to resolve them before election day.
INEC has previously identified voter apathy, declining public trust and misinformation and disinformation as challenges ahead of the 2027 elections.
The Commission said it was also drawing lessons from recent elections as it strengthens its systems ahead of the larger nationwide assignment.
INEC Reviews Election Technology, Result Management
Amupitan disclosed that INEC was refining its technological systems covering voter verification, result transmission and election result management.
He specifically mentioned the Commission’s Result Management Systems and the recently introduced eEC8A as part of the technology being developed ahead of the 2027 polls.
The Commission is also pursuing what it described as a “Zero-Failure” approach to election logistics.
The strategy includes early deployment of electoral materials, transportation, security coordination and the training of ad-hoc personnel.
Traditional Rulers Asked To Mobilise Voters
Earlier, the Supervising National Commissioner for Kaduna, Mallam Kudu Haruna, said the zonal meetings were designed to enable INEC leadership to engage directly with personnel across the country.
Haruna said the Kaduna engagement included a courtesy visit by Amupitan to the Emir of Zazzau and Chairman of the Kaduna State Council of Traditional Rulers.
During the visit, INEC briefed the traditional institution on preparations for the 2027 elections and sought its support in encouraging eligible Nigerians to participate in the electoral process.
Haruna said the INEC chairman informed the Emir that PVC collection would begin on October 9, 2026, and appealed to traditional rulers to encourage eligible citizens to collect their cards.
INEC Begins Final Preparations For 2027 Polls
The Director of Planning and Monitoring, Helen Ajayi, said the zonal exercise would help the Commission assess its level of preparedness across the states and identify operational challenges requiring urgent attention.
She added that the meetings would also help ensure that INEC personnel remained aligned with the Commission’s Code of Conduct as preparations intensify.
Representatives from the Voter Education and Publicity, Voter Registry, ICT, Human Resources, and Election and Operations departments also provided updates on their respective areas.
INEC’s published timetable currently lists the Presidential and National Assembly elections for January 16, 2027, while the Governorship and State House of Assembly elections are scheduled for February 6, 2027.
