The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced plans to introduce downloadable Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for eligible voters who have lost or damaged their original cards.
INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, disclosed the initiative on Wednesday, July 1, while receiving the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Lanre Issa-Onilu, during a courtesy visit to the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
According to Amupitan, the innovation forms part of the commission’s efforts to modernise Nigeria’s electoral system ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He clarified that the downloadable PVC would only be available to voters who had previously collected a physical voter card but later lost it or whose card became damaged.
“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 stated.
Amupitan explained that affected voters would be required to report the loss or damage to INEC at least 90 days before an election to enable the commission process the request.
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He added that the commission intends to test the downloadable PVC system during the off-cycle Osun State governorship election scheduled for August.
The INEC chairman also revealed that the commission is developing a fully online voter registration platform that would allow eligible Nigerians to register without visiting any INEC office for physical biometric capture.
“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.
“So hopefully in the next few days, we will be testing it as soon as the commission approves it,” he said.
Amupitan said the new technologies are designed to make voter registration more accessible and reduce cases of disenfranchisement by ensuring eligible citizens can participate in the electoral process with fewer obstacles.
The proposed reforms are part of INEC’s broader digital transformation strategy, as the commission seeks to improve voter access and strengthen the efficiency of elections before the 2027 polls.