The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is contemplating a significant policy change that would involve the withdrawal and destruction of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) that have remained uncollected for a decade. This proposal is part of a broader review of the 2023 general elections, which yielded 208 recommendations aimed at improving Nigeria’s electoral process.
As of the 2023 elections, more than six million PVCs were still unclaimed, including many issued as far back as 2015. Stakeholders in the post-election review have urged INEC to address this backlog, suggesting that the retention of these uncollected cards clogs the voter management system and is unlikely to benefit the electoral process.
SP Tochukwu Ikenga, INEC’s Public Relations Officer, explained that the commission had made PVCs available for collection starting December 12, 2022, with an initial deadline of January 22, 2023. However, due to the low collection rate, the deadline was extended to February 5, 2023, and collection was devolved to the ward level to facilitate the process. Despite these efforts, the number of uncollected PVCs remains high.
The commission’s review also highlighted the need for modernization in Nigeria’s electoral process, including the potential phase-out of PVCs in favor of more efficient identification methods. With the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), voters may no longer need PVCs for accreditation, as they could use computer-generated slips or credentials downloaded from INEC’s website.
Political parties have expressed mixed reactions to INEC’s proposal. The Labour Party supports the initiative, arguing that it is necessary to declutter the voter register, especially if many registered individuals have passed away. National Legal Adviser Kehinde Edun stated, “If people have not collected over a long period, there is a likelihood those lapses were the result of some irregularities in the process of registration.”
Conversely, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has raised concerns that destroying uncollected PVCs could be a distraction from INEC’s credibility issues. PDP Deputy National Youth Leader Timothy Osadolor emphasized that many Nigerians have lost faith in the commission’s ability to conduct free and fair elections.
The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) also cautioned against the destruction of the PVCs, arguing that it would be a waste of resources. National Publicity Secretary Ladipo Johnson stated, “If you destroy about six million PVCs, and all of a sudden, some of the owners show up and want to vote, it will cost God-knows-how-much to register them again.”
As INEC deliberates on this policy, the future of over six million uncollected PVCs hangs in the balance, with significant implications for Nigeria’s electoral landscape.
