INEC outlines 142 reforms, to replace PVCs ahead 2027

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of future elections, has outlined 142 reforms, recommending using of computer-generated voting slips as alternative to Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of the Commission, disclose this in his address on Thursday in Abuja during the quarterly consultative meeting with Residents Electoral Commissioners (RECs), INEC.

The INEC chairman said PVCs should no longer be the sole requirement for voting, especially with the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).

He noted that from the internal and external engagements, the Commission has identified 142 recommendations dealing with the general state of preparedness, voter management, voter education and public communication, political parties and candidate management, electoral operations and logistics management.

Others are election officials and personnel, partnership and collaboration, monitoring and supervision, election technology, voting and result management, election security, electoral offences and the electoral legal framework.

“Out of the 142 recommendations, 86 require administrative action by the Commission. It is therefore pertinent that we engage first with our Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) because of your frontline role in the implementation of the recommendations.

“This is followed by 48 recommendations that require action by a variety of stakeholders, including security agencies, mobile network operators, statutory bodies, political parties, transport unions, civil society organisations and the media”.

Below is the full address:

REMARKS BY THE CHAIRMAN, INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION (INEC), PROF. MAHMOOD YAKUBU, AT A MEETING WITH THE RESIDENT ELECTORAL COMMISSIONERS (RECs) HELD AT THE INEC CONFERENCE ROOM, ABUJA, ON THURSDAY 12TH DECEMBER 2024

National Commissioners
The Resident Electoral Commissioners
The Secretary to the Commission
Other Senior Officials of the Commission
Members of the INEC Press Corps
Ladies and Gentlemen

I welcome you all to this meeting which is also our last consultative meeting for the year. You may recall that our last meeting was held on Monday 19th August 2024. Coming close to the two off-cycle governorship elections in Edo and Ondo States, we focused on the two elections.

However, today’s meeting will focus on the more detailed issues of planning and reform learning from the experience of the 2023 General Election. Having released our 524-page main report on the election, a copy of which is available on our website, we have consulted widely internally with our own officials and externally with all major stakeholders. With the conclusion of five major off-cycle Governorship elections and nine out of 21 bye-elections since the 2023 General Election, this is the most appropriate time for us to commence the implementation of the recommendations arising from our review of the General Election.

From the internal and external engagements, the Commission has identified 142 recommendations dealing with the general state of preparedness, voter management, voter education and public communication, political parties and candidate management, electoral operations and logistics management, election officials and personnel, partnership and collaboration, monitoring and supervision, election technology, voting and result management, election security, electoral offences and the electoral legal framework.

Out of the 142 recommendations, 86 require administrative action by the Commission. It is therefore pertinent that we engage first with our Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) because of your frontline role in the implementation of the recommendations. This is followed by 48 recommendations that require action by a variety of stakeholders, including security agencies, mobile network operators, statutory bodies, political parties, transport unions, civil society organisations and the media.

5. On the legal review, there are eight recommendations that require legislative action by the National Assembly. Very soon, the Commission will make a presentation to the Joint Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on Electoral Matters as they continue to deliberate on electoral reform.

6. Among the major highlights of the Commission’s recommendations is the imperative of legal clarity in result management, with regard to manual transfer versus the electronic transmission of results. The Commission also believes that with the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), the use of the Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVC) as the sole means of identification for voter accreditation on Election Day should be reviewed. Those who already have the PVCs can still use them to vote, but going forward, computer-generated slips issued to the voter or even downloaded from the Commission’s website will suffice for voter accreditation. This will not only save cost, it will also eliminate the issues around the collection of PVCs and the diabolical practice of buying up the cards from voters in order to disenfranchise them.

7. The review report also contains recommendations on early/special voting for the millions of Nigerians who do not vote at the moment on account of the roles they play during elections such as INEC officials, security personnel, ad hoc staff, observers and journalists who are deployed outside the places where they registered to vote.