BREAKING: ‘PVCs Should No Longer be Sole Requirement for Voting,’ INEC Says, Gives Reason

• Ahead of the 2027 general elections, INEC is proposing a review of the PVCs as the sole means of accreditation of eligible voters
• Along with the PVCs, the electoral umpire is proposing computer-generated slips issued to the voter or even downloaded from the commission’s website as sufficient means of accreditation
• INEC chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu made the disclosure on Thursday, December 12, at a meeting with resident electoral commissioners (REC)

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering elections, governance, and politics.

FCT, Abuja - Professor Mahmood Yakubu has said with the bimodal voter accreditation system (BVAS), the use of the permanent voters’ cards (PVC) as the sole means of identification for voter accreditation during elections should be reviewed.

Legit.ng reports that Yakubu, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), spoke on Thursday, December 12, at a meeting with the resident electoral commissioners (RECs) held at the agency's conference room in Abuja.

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The INEC helmsman explained that those who already have the PVCs can still use them to vote. However, going forward, computer-generated slips issued to the voter or even downloaded from the commission’s website will suffice for voter accreditation.

He said:

“This will not only save cost, it will also eliminate the issues around the collection of PVCs and the diabolical practice of buying up the cards from voters in order to disenfranchise them.“

Meanwhile, Prof. Yakubu assured that the hard copies of the general election and review reports will be presented to the public shortly.

He added:

"The softcopy of the report will also be uploaded to our website in earnest. There will also be a detailed presentation of the major highlights of the review report to you at this meeting."

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• John Mahama’s victory: INEC chairman mentions what Ghana learned from Nigeria
• Ballot boxes destroyed as fire razes INEC office in Delta
• 715 INEC offices moved out of LG secretariats, chairman Yakubu speaks

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INEC chairman risks jail term

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) filed a contempt lawsuit against Yakubu.

SERAP filed the suit against the INEC boss “for failing to investigate the allegations of electoral offences committed during the 2023 general elections, identify suspected perpetrators, and their sponsors, and ensure their effective prosecution.”

Source: Legit.ng