INEC chairman explains why PVCs for the 2027 elections are printed abroad amid scrutiny

• INEC says most PVCs for third-phase registrants are being printed abroad, with distribution expected to resume on December 1.

• The commission has removed over 1.6 million invalid voter registrations and flagged 54 personnel for investigation.

• The PVC delays come amid controversies over the voters' register, electoral timetable and INEC's compliance with the Electoral Act.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said that most Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for Nigerians registered during the third phase of its 2025/2026 Continuous voter registration exercises are being printed abroad.

INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, disclosed this at a press briefing in Abuja on Monday, November 9, 2026. He said some cards were ready to be dispatched to states the following week, while distribution across registration areas would resume on December 1.

Amupitan said PVCs produced for the first and second registration phases, including cards requested by voters who transferred their registration, had already been delivered and were being distributed through local government offices. 

RELATED: PVC collection begins across Nigeria: Where to go, what to take and when to collect yours

He appealed to Nigerians who registered during the final phase to be patient, explaining that overseas production and associated international procedures had affected the delivery schedule.

“We appeal to those who registered in the third phase to be a little bit patient since the production is done outside the country,” he said.

The explanation leaves practical questions for INEC: why are cards needed by millions of Nigerian voters being produced abroad? Are there not qualified artisans in the country who could oversee such a task?

And what arrangements does the commission have to prevent international production and delivery delays from affecting voters' ability to collect their cards before election day?

The disclosure comes as INEC faces increased scrutiny over its handling of the national voters' register. 

On Monday, Amupitan said the commission removed 1,608,660 invalid registrations it identified while reviewing records from the 2025 and 2026 registration exercises. It also removed 873 records belonging to verified deceased persons.

RELATED: INEC removes over 1.6 million invalid names from voter register ahead of 2027 elections

The review followed public complaints about duplicate entries, suspicious photographs, unusual identities and suspected AI-generated pictures in the preliminary register published ahead of the elections. 

INEC's Director of Information and Communication Technology, Lawrence Bayode, had earlier acknowledged that some registration officers abused their official login credentials to introduce questionable photographs into the database.

Amupitan subsequently identified 54 personnel across 10 states for investigation and possible disciplinary action, including prosecution. He also said the final register would be published on December 15.

Nigeria's presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while governorship and state assembly elections will be held on February 6, 2027.

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With the election approaching, INEC faces the task of completing PVC distribution, maintaining an accurate voters' register and addressing questions about its compliance with electoral laws.