ABUJA: The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has begun displaying the preliminary register of voters and distributing Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in preparation for Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
The exercise, scheduled to run from Friday, October 9, to Thursday, October 15, 2026, gives registered voters an opportunity to verify their information, submit claims and objections where necessary, and collect available PVCs from the first phase of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.
The commission announced the arrangements in Plateau and Sokoto states, where voters are expected to visit designated Registration Area centres during the seven-day exercise.
INEC said the initiative is intended to improve the accuracy of the voter register and ensure that eligible citizens are prepared to participate in the forthcoming elections.
Plateau State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Sam Egwu, said the exercise would take place simultaneously across all 207 Registration Areas in the state.
In a statement made available to journalists in Jos on Thursday, Egwu said the exercise was being conducted pursuant to Section 19(1) of the Electoral Act 2026, which requires INEC to display the voter register at least 90 days before the general elections.
According to the statement, the display of the preliminary register, hearing of claims and objections, and collection of available PVCs would take place daily between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., from October 9 to October 15.
Egwu urged registered voters to use the opportunity to examine their details carefully, including their names, photographs, dates of birth, polling units and other registration information.
He explained that voters who discover errors or discrepancies should submit the necessary claims or objections within the stipulated period.
The REC stressed that an accurate voter register was essential to the conduct of free, fair and credible elections.
He added that PVCs belonging to voters registered during the first phase of the CVR exercise would be available for collection.
In Sokoto State, Resident Electoral Commissioner Umar Garba also announced the commencement of the exercise, describing it as part of INEC’s preparations for the 2027 general elections.
Garba made the announcement while briefing journalists at the Nigeria Union of Journalists Press Centre.
He said the exercise would enable eligible voters to verify their registration details and collect their PVCs where available.
However, the REC clarified that PVCs relating to lost or damaged cards, transfers, updates and registrations conducted during the second and third phases of the CVR exercise were not yet ready for collection.
He said the commission would announce when those cards became available.
Garba further disclosed that after the exercise ended at Registration Area centres on October 15, PVC distribution would continue at INEC offices across Sokoto State’s 23 local government areas.
The arrangement, he explained, would allow eligible voters who could not collect their cards at the Registration Area level to obtain them later.
Garba said INEC had continued to work with security agencies throughout the voter registration process to ensure a safe and orderly exercise.
According to him, the commission took the advice of security agencies seriously during the recent registration activities, contributing to a process without casualties.
He assured eligible voters that INEC would continue making arrangements to ensure the distribution of available PVCs across the state.
The Sokoto REC also addressed the participation of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the 2027 general elections.
He said INEC was engaging security agencies to establish the number of displaced persons in the state and determine how they could participate in the elections.
Garba explained that the commission was working towards ensuring that displaced persons living in officially recognised camps could exercise their voting rights.
He added that INEC would announce the total number of registered voters in Sokoto State at the appropriate time.
The seven-day exercise provides registered voters with an opportunity to identify errors in their records before the 2027 elections.
Eligible voters in the affected areas are encouraged to visit their designated Registration Area centres during the exercise to confirm their details and collect their PVCs if the cards are available.
Those awaiting cards relating to transfers, replacements, updates or later registration phases should follow official INEC announcements for information on subsequent collection dates.
The commission’s preparations are part of the broader process of ensuring that eligible Nigerians can participate in the 2027 general elections.
