INEC announces date for nationwide PVC collection

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced Friday, October 9, 2026, as the commencement date for the nationwide collection of Permanent Voter Cards ahead of the 2027 general elections.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Monday at a strategic workshop for media executives organised by the commission in collaboration with Development Alternatives Incorporated and the Nigerian Guild of Editors in Abuja.

The announcement comes as the National Register of Voters has risen to more than 103 million, with the commission recording more than 10.6 million new applicants during the three-phase Continuous Voter Registration exercise.

INEC completes voters’ register cleanup

Amupitan said the public display of the Preliminary Register for claims and objections had been completed, while the commission had also concluded the final Automated Biometric Identification System cleanup of the register.

He said the commencement of PVC collection was particularly important as Nigeria approaches the 2027 general elections, stressing that INEC was working to ensure that the electoral process remained transparent, technology-driven and credible.

The chairman said the commission remained committed to continuously improving the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and the INEC Result Viewing Portal to ensure that every valid vote counts and is seen to count.

Amupitan also identified public trust as a major factor in electoral credibility, saying confidence in the electoral process remained essential to the success of the 2027 elections.

INEC seeks stronger media partnership

The INEC chairman called for stronger collaboration between the commission, editors, civil society organisations and other stakeholders as preparations for the election gather pace.

He said INEC was prepared to listen to editorial concerns, address operational challenges and provide timely information to prevent misinformation from filling communication gaps.

Amupitan urged newsrooms to establish digital fact-verification desks and pledged that INEC would provide editors with direct access to verify field incidents, logistical developments and security reports in real time.

He also proposed a sustained editorial feedback mechanism between INEC and the Nigerian Guild of Editors to review operational progress and address emerging challenges throughout the 2027 election cycle.

Commission warns against misinformation

The Director of Voter Education and Publicity Department, Victoria Eta-Messi, identified misinformation and disinformation as major factors contributing to declining citizen participation in elections.

She urged media organisations to support INEC by ensuring that accurate and timely information reaches citizens, particularly as the commission prepares to begin nationwide PVC collection.

The Chief Press Secretary to the INEC chairman, Adedayo Oketola, said the strategic workshop had three broad objectives, including rebuilding institutional trust through open dialogue, combating information disorder and promoting shared democratic responsibility.

Oketola said INEC wanted to establish seamless 24-hour fact-verification channels between newsrooms and the commission so that speed would not come at the expense of accuracy.

‘Verify before you amplify’

The Executive Director of the Centre for Media and Society, Dr Akin Akingbulu, said Nigeria was at a critical point in its democratic journey with the 2027 elections approaching and PVC collection scheduled to begin within days.

He said electoral information was already shaping public discourse across newspapers, radio, television and digital platforms.

Akingbulu urged editors to rigorously verify electoral information, beware of deepfakes and avoid publishing unofficial results.

He said verification was a two-way process and urged journalists and editors to “verify before you amplify.”

The President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Eze Anaba, said the workshop was timely given the country’s proximity to another general election.

Anaba urged editors to uphold accuracy, fairness, balance and public interest in electoral reporting, while calling for stronger access to credible and timely information from INEC.

The nationwide PVC collection exercise is scheduled to begin on October 9 as the electoral commission intensifies preparations for the 2027 general elections.