Key points
- INEC will introduce downloadable Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for voters who have lost or damaged previously issued cards.
- The initiative will be piloted during the Osun governorship election ahead of the 2027 general elections.
- The commission is also developing a system that will allow eligible Nigerians to complete voter registration entirely online.
- INEC says the reforms are aimed at reducing voter disenfranchisement and making registration more accessible.
Main story
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is set to introduce downloadable Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for eligible voters who have lost or damaged their previously issued voter cards, marking another step in the commission’s efforts to digitise Nigeria’s electoral system ahead of the 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, announced the initiative on Wednesday while receiving the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, during a courtesy visit to the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
According to Amupitan, the downloadable PVC option is designed to make it easier for eligible voters to recover access to their voter credentials without going through lengthy replacement processes. However, he stressed that the facility will only be available to voters who have previously collected a physical PVC and later lost it or whose card has become defaced or unreadable.
“It is not every PVC that is downloadable. You must have gotten your PVC before and it must be that the PVC is lost, defaced or if you cannot read your numbers there,” he said.
He added that affected voters would still be required to formally notify the commission at least 90 days before an election to enable INEC process the request.
Beyond downloadable PVCs, Amupitan disclosed that the commission was nearing completion of another digital reform that would allow eligible Nigerians to register as voters entirely online without visiting INEC offices for physical biometric capture.
According to him, the technology is currently undergoing final preparations and will be tested once it receives formal approval from the commission.
“We have also been working on the technology that is going to make it possible for the registration of voters online without even having to visit INEC local government or registration areas. Hopefully in the next few days, we will be testing it as soon as the commission approves it,” he said.
The INEC chairman said both initiatives are part of broader efforts to modernise Nigeria’s electoral process and remove barriers that prevent eligible citizens from participating in elections.
The issues
Access to voter registration and replacement PVCs has long been a major challenge during Nigerian elections, with many voters unable to participate after losing their cards or facing difficulties completing registration before election deadlines.
If successfully implemented, downloadable PVCs and fully online voter registration could significantly reduce administrative bottlenecks, improve voter convenience and expand participation, particularly among young and digitally connected Nigerians.
However, the planned reforms will also place greater emphasis on cybersecurity, identity verification and data protection to ensure that the integrity of the voter register and electoral process is maintained.
What’s being said
“It is not every PVC that is downloadable. You must have gotten your PVC before and it must be that the PVC is lost, defaced or if you cannot read your numbers there.” — Prof. Joash Amupitan, INEC Chairman
“We have also been working on the technology that is going to make it possible for the registration of voters online without even having to visit INEC local government or registration areas.” — Prof. Joash Amupitan
What’s next
INEC plans to pilot the downloadable PVC system during the upcoming Osun governorship election before considering wider deployment ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The commission is also expected to begin testing its online voter registration platform in the coming weeks, subject to formal approval.
Bottom line
INEC is accelerating the digital transformation of Nigeria’s electoral process, with downloadable voter cards and fully online registration expected to make voting more accessible while reducing the risk of voter disenfranchisement.
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