INEC to Destroy Over 6 Million Uncollected PVCs After 10 Years

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is considering a policy to withdraw and destroy Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) that have remained uncollected for a decade.

EKO HOT BLOG gathers that this recommendation was part of 208 proposals generated from INEC’s review of the 2023 general elections.

The decision follows the ongoing issue of unclaimed PVCs, with over six million cards still uncollected as of the 2023 elections, including those issued as far back as 2015.

Stakeholders in the post-election review suggested that INEC address the backlog of uncollected PVCs by implementing a policy to withdraw cards that have been uncollected for long periods, beginning with those issued in 2015.

The rationale is that these cards are unlikely to be claimed and their retention clutters the voter management system.

“Following the publication of the Register of Voters, the commission made PVCs available for collection starting on December 12, 2022. The exercise was initially planned to end on January 22, 2023, but due to a high number of uncollected PVCs, the deadline was extended until February 5, 2023, with collection made available at the ward level between January 6-15, 2023, to facilitate the process,” an INEC statement explained.

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Despite efforts to increase PVC collection—including an online tracking system, support from civil society organizations (CSOs), and information centers in various states—the number of uncollected PVCs has remained high. Many of these uncollected cards date back to 2015.

As a result, INEC has recommended that the commission consider withdrawing PVCs issued in 2015, as it is unclear whether the owners will ever collect them.

The commission also proposed modernizing Nigeria’s electoral process, including the gradual phase-out of PVCs and the introduction of diaspora voting. The introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) means that PVCs may no longer be necessary for voter accreditation. Instead, voters could use computer-generated slips or credentials downloaded from the commission’s website.

“Unlike the SCR, the voters’ register is now resident in the BVAS. The new device does not read and extract voters’ details from the PVC. Additionally, biometric accreditation (fingerprint or facial recognition) has been made mandatory under the Electoral Act 2022,” INEC said. “Voters can now be identified using their registration slips, which eliminates the need for PVCs, saving on production costs, logistical distribution, and preventing disenfranchisement.”

However, the adoption of this approach would require an amendment to Section 47(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, which mandates the presentation of the PVC for voting.

Political Parties Divided

Political parties are divided over INEC’s proposed plan to destroy uncollected PVCs.

The National Legal Adviser of the Labour Party, Kehinde Edun, supported the initiative, emphasizing the need to declutter the voters’ register, particularly if many of the uncollected cards belong to deceased individuals. He said, “If people have not collected their PVCs over a long period, it’s likely due to irregularities in the registration process. Destroying them might be necessary.”

However, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) raised concerns, suggesting that destroying PVCs could be an attempt by INEC to distract Nigerians. PDP’s Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, criticized INEC’s credibility and said, “How can they destroy cards produced with taxpayers’ money when INEC has failed the credibility test? They should focus on rebranding and restoring Nigerians’ faith in the commission.”

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The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) also urged INEC to reconsider the plan, arguing that destroying the PVCs would waste public funds. The NNPP’s National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, said, “Destroying over six million PVCs could be wasteful. If people later show up to vote, it would cost money to register them again.”

SANs Support INEC

Some Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) backed INEC’s proposal, asserting that there are no legal barriers to destroying uncollected PVCs. Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN) believed the uncollected PVCs likely resulted from fraudulent double registration. He said, “These uncollected PVCs are taking up space and are probably from people who no longer exist. Let them destroy the uncollected cards.”

Similarly, Sam Erugo (SAN) supported the idea, suggesting that the uncollected PVCs were likely either from deceased individuals or cases of duplication. “If people haven’t collected their cards, they’re effectively useless,” he said.

However, Paul Obi (SAN) disagreed, calling for greater awareness to encourage people to collect their PVCs rather than destroying them. “What’s the point of destroying six million voter cards? Greater awareness should be created to ensure that people collect them,” he said.

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