The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is facing a growing challenge ahead of the 2027 general elections, as more than 14 million Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) are reportedly awaiting collection across Nigeria.
The development has raised concerns about potential voter apathy and the possibility of millions of eligible Nigerians being unable to exercise their voting rights in the forthcoming elections.
Investigations by Vanguard across several states indicate that despite the registration of millions of new voters through the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, a significant number of produced PVCs remain unclaimed.
The situation has become particularly concerning in Plateau, Taraba, Jigawa, Benue and Bayelsa states, where INEC has confirmed substantial numbers of outstanding voter cards.
In Taraba State, 29,314 PVCs remain uncollected, comprising 13,826 cards from previous registration exercises and 15,488 processed during the latest registration exercise.
The state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Sa’ad Umar Idris, disclosed that only 16,188 out of 31,676 cards processed during the 2025–2026 exercise had been collected, representing approximately 51 per cent.
Similarly, Plateau State recorded 121,821 new voters, while approximately 95,000 PVCs from previous registration exercises remain uncollected.
In Jigawa State, INEC reported 33,079 PVCs awaiting collection, alongside 515,878 new voters recorded during the recent registration exercise.
Bayelsa State also has 52,225 PVCs awaiting collection from the first phase of the latest CVR exercise, while Benue recorded 58,581 PVCs collected during the recent display of the voters’ register.
Meanwhile, several other states have recorded significant increases in their voter populations. Zamfara added 313,115 new voters, Nasarawa registered approximately 247,000 additional voters, while Sokoto recorded 461,057 new registrants.
In the South-West, Ogun State’s registered voter population increased by 348,703 to 3,037,008, while Ekiti recorded 1,055,708 registered voters. Ondo also reported 2,053,061 registered voters, including 76,285 new registrants.
Lagos, which has the country’s largest registered voter population at 7,488,633, is expected to release its final register on December 15, 2026, following the conclusion of the ongoing claims and objections exercise.
However, INEC is yet to provide comprehensive PVC collection figures for some states, including Kano, Borno, Bauchi and Kebbi, with officials citing ongoing compilation and other administrative considerations.
The commission has continued to appeal to political parties, traditional rulers, religious leaders and civil society organisations to intensify public awareness campaigns and encourage eligible voters to collect their PVCs.
With the 2027 general elections approaching, the growing number of uncollected voter cards presents a significant test for INEC’s voter mobilisation efforts.
The concern now extends beyond registering more Nigerians to ensuring that those already captured in the electoral register obtain their PVCs and are prepared to participate in the democratic process.