INEC Chairman Amupitan Says Most PVCs For Newly Registered Voters Are Printed Abroad, Appeals For Calm
INEC Chairman Amupitan Says Most PVCs For Newly Registered Voters Are Printed Abroad, Appeals For Calm 
Amupitan said the overseas production process and international protocols affected the delivery timeline, asking affected registrants to be patient while the commission awaits the remaining cards.
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Joash Amupitan, said most Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for Nigerians who registered during the third phase of the ongoing voter registration exercise are printed outside the country.Nigerian news analysis
Amupitan said the overseas production process and international protocols affected the delivery timeline, asking affected registrants to be patient while the commission awaits the remaining cards.
The INEC chairman made the disclosure during a recent interview seen by SaharaReporters, explaining that some of the PVCs produced for the third and final phase had already been delivered to the commission.
He said the available cards would be dispatched to state offices the following week, while the bulk of the remaining PVCs was expected to be ready for distribution afterwards.
“Some of the PVCs for the third and final phase have been delivered, and they will be dispatched to the states next week,” Amupitan said.
“Those that are available because most of those things are printed outside the country, and then because of some of those international protocols, all the phase one, phase two, transfer cases have been delivered.”
He explained that the cards for voters registered during the first and second phases, as well as those who requested transfers, had been delivered.
However, he said the commission was still expecting a larger batch of PVCs belonging to people who registered during the final phase.
“Now the third phase, some of them are already on ground, and then we’ll have a bulk of most of the last phase. That’s those that registered in the last phase,” he said.
“They will be ready for distribution to the states, delivery, dispatch to the state by next week.”
Amupitan also announced that INEC would resume PVC distribution at registration areas across the country from December 1, 2026.
“Meanwhile, as from 1st December, 2026, distribution will go back to the registration areas from the local government all over Nigeria,” he said.
The chairman appealed to voters who registered during the third phase not to lose patience over the delay, reiterating that the production process was taking place outside Nigeria.Nigerian news analysis
“We appeal to those that registered in the third phase to be a little bit patient, since the production is done outside Nigeria,” he added.Nigerian news analysis
The disclosure comes as the commission continues preparations for the next general election, with PVC collection remaining an important step for registered Nigerians seeking to exercise their voting rights.
Amupitan also said INEC remained committed to protecting eligible voters while removing confirmed invalid entries from the voters’ register.
“Protecting eligible voters, the commission remains committed both to removing confirmed invalid entries and to protecting eligible Nigerians from wrongful exclusion,” he said.Nigerian news analysis
He added that public observations, documented claims and objections, as well as verified submissions from state offices, were important inputs in the commission’s review process.
