INEC Sets October 9 for Nationwide PVC Collection Ahead of 2027 Election

Posted by Chinenye on Tue 29th Sep, 2026 - tori.ng

INEC says Nigerians who have newly registered to vote can start collecting their PVCs from October 9, 2026.

(Permanent Voter Cards. Photo by Tribune Online)

The Independent National Electoral Commission has announced that collection of newly issued Permanent Voter Cards will start across the country on October 9, 2026, ahead of the 2027 general election.

INEC Chairman Professor Joash Amupitan made this known on Monday at the commission's North-West Zonal Interactive Meeting with staff in Kaduna.

He said the cards were produced after three phases of the Continuous Voter Registration exercise, which brought in 10,772,421 new registrants.

He added that the new registrations are still subject to checks through the Automated Biometric Identification System.

Amupitan told officials to fix any problems that could stop eligible voters from collecting their cards, especially in rural areas.

He said the success of any election is decided in the field and not just in meeting rooms in Abuja.

He explained that the commission's readiness tour of the six geopolitical zones is meant to spot challenges in field work and solve them before the 2027 polls.

He also urged electoral officials to stay neutral and professional, saying how staff behave at local government offices, registration area centres and polling units will shape public trust in the process.

Kaduna's Supervising National Commissioner, Mallam Kudu Haruna, said the zonal meetings give INEC leaders a chance to speak directly with field staff.

He said Amupitan also visited the Emir of Zazzau, who is Chairman of the Kaduna State Council of Traditional Rulers, to seek the support of traditional institutions in getting voters to turn out.

Amupitan told the Emir the new cards will be ready for collection from October 9 and asked traditional rulers to encourage eligible people in their communities to pick up their PVCs.

INEC also said the national voter register is close to 100 million registered voters.

Voters can use the commission's official portal to check the status of their PVCs and find their collection centres.