The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has clarified that Nigerians who pre-register online during the ongoing continuous voter registration exercise must still visit its offices to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
INEC explained that online registration alone does not complete the process, as biometric capture must be done physically at designated centres.
“For now, you can’t sort everything at home because we still need to capture your biometrics.
“If we are able to capture your biometrics online, then there will be no need to go to those centres,” INEC Director of ICT, Bayode Lawrence, said on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, August 20.
“You will just do everything at home and you will be done. But we still need to capture your fingerprint biometric, so that is the essence for you to come to the centre for your fingerprint biometric to be captured,” he added.
READ ALSO: 2027: INEC Begins Online Voters Registration for Eligible Nigerians
Lawrence explained that while applicants can fill and upload some information online, physical presence at registration centres is required to validate data and prevent fraud.
He stressed that the measure was vital to safeguard the credibility of the voter register.
Furthermore, he disclosed that INEC was collaborating with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to integrate data from the national identification card into future registration exercises.
The ICT director also noted that voters without internet access could register physically at INEC local government offices.
Additionally, the commission’s online portal provides a module for those with damaged PVCs to report, update their details, and obtain replacements.