INEC SET TO INTRODUCE DOWNLOADABLE PVCS, FULL ONLINE VOTER REGISTRATION.(PHOTO).

 The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it will introduce downloadable Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for voters who have lost or damaged their original cards as part of efforts to modernise Nigeria's electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Wednesday while receiving the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, during a courtesy visit to the commission's headquarters in Abuja.

Amupitan explained that the downloadable PVC option would only be available to voters who had previously collected their physical PVCs but later lost or damaged them. He clarified that the initiative would not apply to first-time registrants who had never obtained a physical card.

According to him, eligible voters must report the loss or damage of their PVCs to INEC at least 90 days before an election to enable the commission to process the replacement.

The INEC Chairman also announced that the commission plans to pilot the downloadable PVC technology during the Osun State off-cycle governorship election scheduled for August.

He further revealed that INEC was finalising work on a new technology that would enable eligible Nigerians to complete voter registration entirely online without visiting INEC offices for physical biometric capture.

Amupitan said the online registration platform would be tested in the coming days once it receives the commission's approval.

He noted that the technological innovations are aimed at expanding access to voter registration, reducing disenfranchisement, and making the electoral process more convenient for eligible citizens.