By Odita Sunday
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to publish a clear nationwide timetable for the production, distribution and collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), warning that administrative delays must not disenfranchise registered voters.
The party also called on the electoral commission to provide Nigerians with certainty about when and where their PVCs would be available, particularly as preparations for the 2027 general elections gather momentum.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said millions of Nigerians who participated in the voter registration exercise deserved timely access to the cards required to exercise their constitutional right to vote.
“You cannot register Nigerians to vote and then make them run from office to office searching for the card that enables them to exercise that right. Registration without access to a PVC is disenfranchisement by another route,” the party said.
Abdullahi said INEC should immediately publish, on a state-by-state basis, the number of newly registered voters, PVCs produced, cards distributed, outstanding cards and designated collection centres.
He also urged the commission to intensify public information campaigns and decentralise PVC collection wherever practicable, saying distance, bureaucracy and poor communication should not become barriers to electoral participation.
“With the general election approaching, Nigerians should not be left wondering whether their cards will arrive in time. This is not a logistical footnote. It goes to the heart of the credibility of the election itself,” the ADC said.
The party said it would mobilise its structures nationwide to monitor PVC distribution and document complaints from registered voters who were unable to obtain their cards.
Abdullahi said the initiative was aimed at ensuring that voters were not confronted with avoidable difficulties as the elections draw closer.
“We do not want an election-eve scramble, excuses or emergency promises. INEC has the opportunity to resolve this matter now, transparently and comprehensively,” the statement said.
The ADC warned that every PVC that remained unnecessarily unavailable could put a citizen’s constitutional right to participate in the electoral process at risk.
“Every PVC that remains unnecessarily unavailable represents a citizen whose constitutional voice is at risk of being silenced. That must not be allowed to happen,” the party said.
About the Author
