The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is facing challenges in distributing and ensuring the collection of millions of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
A report by Vanguard indicates that more than 14 million PVCs remain uncollected across the country, raising concerns about voter participation in next year’s elections.
The report comes after INEC registered 10,772,421 new voters during its latest Continuous Voter Registration exercise, with several states still recording substantial numbers of unclaimed cards.
In Taraba State, 29,314 PVCs remain uncollected, while Plateau State has approximately 95,000 outstanding cards from previous registration exercises. Jigawa and Bayelsa have also reported 33,079 and 52,225 uncollected cards respectively.
In Benue State, INEC recorded 3,057,225 registered voters, including 279,498 new registrants. The commission disclosed that 58,581 PVCs were collected during the recent display of the voters’ register.
Meanwhile, Kano State is yet to complete the compilation of its PVC collection figures across its 44 local government areas. INEC officials in Borno, Bauchi and Kebbi also did not provide updated figures at the time of the report.
The situation highlights the need for increased voter mobilisation as INEC continues preparations for the 2027 general elections.
The commission has urged political parties, traditional rulers, religious leaders and civil society organisations to encourage eligible voters to visit INEC offices and collect their PVCs.
Verification note: The Bayelsa figure of 52,225 uncollected PVCs was independently corroborated by a separate Punch report published on October 28, 2026. The wider 14-million figure is Vanguard’s estimate based on its investigations; it is not yet a final nationwide total confirmed by INEC, as several states have not completed or released their figures.
INEC.
