The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Plateau State has raised concerns over the low turnout of registered voters collecting their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) ahead of future elections.
Resident Electoral Commissioner Mohammed Sadiq expressed disappointment during a stakeholders’ meeting in Jos on Wednesday, noting that only 1,004 out of over 101,000 registered voters had collected their PVCs in the past three months, representing just 0.09 percent.
“We keep reminding the good people of Plateau State to collect their PVCs, yet the response remains very low. Even one percent collection has not been reached,” Sadiq said.
He urged all registered voters to collect their PVCs, stressing that doing so is essential for participating in upcoming elections. The commission also outlined the timeline for outstanding electoral activities, including the display of the preliminary register from December 15 to 21, 2025, and the handling of complaints on December 21, 2025.
Sadiq highlighted two major challenges: uncollected PVCs and incomplete registrations. He encouraged registrants to use the display of the preliminary register to verify their details and correct any errors. The second phase of continuous voter registration is scheduled to commence on January 5, 2026.
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He also thanked stakeholders, including traditional rulers, local government councils, the media, and security agencies, for their support and called for continued efforts to mobilise citizens, strengthen democracy, and ensure free, fair, and credible elections in 2027.
According to INEC, the continuous voter registration exercise, which began on August 18, 2025, has so far received 76,451 applications, resulting in 25,290 new registrations. However, 101,200 PVCs remain uncollected, while 7,019 registrants are yet to be captured in the voter database.
The stakeholders’ meeting drew participation from officials of political parties, security agencies, government bodies, and religious and community leaders.