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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced the display of the preliminary register of voters and distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) as part of preparations for the 2027 general elections.
The seven-day exercise, running from October 9 to 15, 2026, will enable registered voters to verify their details, submit claims and objections, and collect PVCs from the first phase of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) conducted between August and December 2025.
In Plateau State, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. Sam Egwu, announced that the exercise would take place across all 207 Registration Areas in the state, including weekends, between 9am and 3pm daily.
In a statement issued in Jos on Thursday, Egwu said the exercise was being conducted in accordance with Section 19(1) of the Electoral Act 2026, which requires INEC to display the voter register at least 90 days before the general elections.
He urged registered voters to check their names, photographs, dates of birth, polling units and other registration details to identify errors and submit necessary claims or objections within the stipulated period.
According to him, PVCs belonging to voters registered during the first phase of the CVR, conducted from August 18 to December 10, 2025, would be available for collection during the exercise.
In Sokoto State, the REC, Umar Garba, also confirmed the commencement of the exercise while briefing journalists at the Nigeria Union of Journalists Press Centre.
Garba said the initiative was part of the commission’s preparations to ensure that eligible voters could verify their registration details and obtain their voter cards ahead of the elections.
He clarified that PVCs relating to lost or damaged cards, transfers, updates and registrations undertaken during the second and third phases of the CVR were not yet available for collection.
The REC said INEC would announce when the affected cards would be ready, adding that the collection would continue at the commission’s offices across Sokoto’s 23 local government areas after the Registration Area exercise ends on October 15.
He explained that the arrangement would provide another opportunity for eligible voters who could not collect their cards at the Registration Area centres to do so.
On security, Garba said INEC had continued to work with security agencies throughout the voter registration process, noting that their advice had contributed to a safe exercise without casualties.
He assured eligible voters that the commission was committed to ensuring the distribution of PVCs across the state.
Garba also disclosed that INEC was engaging security agencies to establish the number of internally displaced persons in Sokoto and determine how they could participate in the 2027 elections.
He said the commission was working to facilitate voting for displaced persons residing in officially recognised camps.
The REC added that INEC would announce the total number of registered voters in Sokoto State at the appropriate time.
