Dare Babalola
Members of the National Assembly are proposing an amendment to the Electoral Act that would make the use of the Permanent Voter Card (PVC) optional for voters 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 ammend Sections 18 and 47 of the 2022 Electoral Act stated.
It added, “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 recommends that eligible voters be allowed to cast their ballots using alternative identification documents, including their national passport, National Identification Number (NIN), and birth certificate, in addition to other accepted forms of identification.
“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.
