By Musa Baba Adamu
As part of amendment of the Electoral Act, lawmakers are proposing to make the use of Permanent Voter Card (PVC) optional during elections.
The Senate and House Committees on Electoral Matters, during a joint hearing on Monday, unveiled the the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2025, containing the proposal to make the use of PVC for voting optional.
“The use of Permanent Voter Card (PVC) will not be compulsory, since the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) does not recognise the microchip in the PVC,” the proposal seeking to amend Sections 18 and 47 of the 2022 Electoral Act stated. “Every registered voter will be able to download and print their voter’s card whenever needed. This totally eradicates the issue of buying and selling PVCs, likewise all related offences. This is reflected in section 18, section 47 and the deletion of section 22.”
The proposed amendment also suggest that eligible voters will be able to cast their votes using other alternative means of identification including, national passport, National Identification Number and birth certificate.
“Acceptable means of identification for voter registration have been limited to the National Identification Number (NIN), a Nigerian birth certificate, or Nigerian passport,” the proposal noted.
The proposed amendment also seeks to mandate conclusion of all election litigation before the May 29, 2027, handover date.
“The above provisions are to ensure that all litigations are concluded before swearing in,” the proposed amendment stated.
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