In a significant move towards electoral reform, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has proposed the use of computer-generated voting slips as an alternative to Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for future elections. The proposal aims to streamline the voting process and enhance voter accessibility.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, made this known during a quarterly consultative meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) in Abuja. He stated that with the advent of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), it is no longer necessary for PVCs to be the sole means of voter identification on election day.
“Those who already have 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,” Yakubu explained. “This will not only save costs but also eliminate issues around PVC collection and the practice of buying up the cards to disenfranchise voters.”
Yakubu revealed that the commission has released its 524-page report on the 2023 general elections after consultations with internal and external stakeholders. The review identified 142 key recommendations covering areas such as voter management, voter education, political party regulation, election technology, and electoral security.
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According to the INEC chairman, 86 of these recommendations require administrative action by INEC, while 48 others demand collaboration with stakeholders, including security agencies, mobile network operators, political parties, civil society organisations, and the media. Eight recommendations necessitate legislative changes, which will be presented to the Joint Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on Electoral Matters.
One of the most notable recommendations is the need for legal clarity on result management, particularly regarding the manual transfer and electronic transmission of election results.
Another major highlight of the review is the proposal for early or special voting for essential workers such as INEC officials, security personnel, ad-hoc staff, observers, and journalists, who are typically unable to vote on election day due to their deployment to different locations.
“This recommendation seeks to ensure that the millions of Nigerians engaged in essential election duties can exercise their right to vote,” Yakubu said.
The review also calls for the introduction of diaspora voting to allow Nigerians living abroad to participate in elections. Furthermore, INEC proposes the unbundling of its responsibilities by establishing an electoral offences tribunal and creating a separate agency to handle the registration and regulation of political parties.
To ensure a more accurate voter register, Yakubu disclosed that INEC would collaborate with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and the National Population Commission (NPC) to develop protocols for cleaning up the voters’ register.
With these recommendations, INEC is pushing for more inclusive, transparent, and technologically advanced electoral processes that will strengthen Nigeria’s democracy.
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