Elections: INEC struggles to get 14m PVCs to voters

*Taraba, Plateau, Jigawa, Bayelsa, Benue among states with thousands of cards awaiting collection *Sokoto, Nasarawa, Zamfara, Yobe record significant increase in voter population *Kano yet to compile collection figures; Borno, Bauchi, Kebbi withholding data *Lagos, Ondo, Ogun, Ekiti, Osun, Kaduna, Adamawa report growing voter numbers *INEC intensifies mobilisation ahead of January 16 presidential election By Soni Daniel ABUJA — Three weeks after the collection of Permanent Voters Cards, PVCs started across the country, the failure of no fewer than 14 million eligible voters to collect their PVCs, is emerging as a major concern for the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Read Also: Critics of Rainbow Coalition can’t unite their families – Wike Investigations by Vanguard across several states show that while the Continuous Voter Registration, CVR, exercise attracted millions of new registrants, a significant number of produced PVCs remain uncollected, potentially denying their owners the opportunity to participate in next year’s elections.

Vanguard’s checks showed that 6.26 million PVCs were not collected before the 2023 general elections. In the last Continuous Voters Registration, CVR, exercise, the electoral commission registered 10,772,421 new voters. At press time, many states are yet to release their tallies of uncollected voter’s cards estimated at over 14 million. The situation is particularly worrying in states like Plateau, Taraba, Jigawa, Benue and Bayelsa, where INEC has disclosed substantial numbers of cards awaiting collection.

In Plateau, about 95,000 PVCs from previous registration exercises remain unclaimed. Taraba has 29,314 outstanding cards, while Jigawa has 33,079 cards ready for collection. Bayelsa, on its part, has 52,225 PVCs from the first phase of the recent registration exercise awaiting collection. Benue has also recorded considerable activity, with 58,581 PVCs collected during the recent display of the voters’ register, although thousands of additional cards are still being processed or await collection.

Beyond the collection challenge, voter registration figures indicate growing electoral participation across the country, with Sokoto, Zamfara, Nasarawa, Benue, Ogun, Kano and other states recording significant additions to their voter registers. However, the picture is incomplete in some states. While Kano is yet to compile its PVC collection figures across its 44 local government areas, INEC officials in Borno, Bauchi and Kebbi declined to provide updates, describing the requested information as sensitive.

In the South-West, Lagos says its final register will not be available until December 15, after conclusion of the claims and objections exercise. Ondo, Ogun, Ekiti and Osun have reported increases in registered voters, although some are still compiling their PVC collection figures. The findings raise questions about whether the increasing number of registered voters will translate into participation in the 2027 elections, beginning with the presidential and National Assembly polls on January 16.

Taraba: 29,314 PVCs uncollected In Taraba State, the number of registered voters stands at 2,254,380, according to INEC. However, no fewer than 29,314 PVCs remain uncollected across the commission’s offices in the state. The Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Dr Sa’ad Umar Idris, said the outstanding cards comprise 13,826 legacy PVCs from previous electoral cycles between 2011 and 2023 and 15,488 cards processed during the latest registration exercise.

He explained that the commission processed 31,676 cards arising from new registrations, voter transfers and replacements during the 2025–2026 exercise. Of these, only 16,188, representing about 51 per cent, had been collected. Expressing concern over the low collection rate, Idris appealed to political parties, traditional rulers, religious leaders and civil society organisations to mobilise residents to visit INEC local government offices and collect their cards.

Plateau: 121,821 new voters, 95,000 PVCs uncollected In Plateau State, INEC recorded 121,821 new voters during the latest CVR exercise, while about 95,000 PVCs from previous registration exercises remain uncollected. The REC, Prof. Samuel Egwu, disclosed this during a meeting with political party leaders and other stakeholders in Jos. He said women accounted for 65,928 of new registrants, while men represented 55,893.

The commission also received 38,399 requests for voter transfers within and outside the state. Egwu said the outstanding PVCs remained a major concern as INEC intensified preparations for the 2027 elections. Jigawa: 33,079 PVCs ready for collection Jigawa State has 2,351,298 registered voters, according to the REC, Prof. Muhammad Bashar. Bashar said 33,079 PVCs are ready for collection by people who registered for transfers, corrections and replacements between August and December 2025.

He also disclosed that the state recorded 515,878 new voters du