2027: INEC Moves to Tackle CVR Irregularities, PVC Collection Bottlenecks in South-East

2027: INEC Moves to Tackle CVR Irregularities, PVC Collection Bottlenecks in South-East

Enugu (Core Reporters) — The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, (SAN) has directed a review of Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) records in the South-East and the removal of bottlenecks affecting the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the 2027 general election.

Amupitan gave the directive on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, during the South-East Zonal Interactive Meeting with Staff and Readiness Assessment for the 2027 General Election in Enugu.

He said the Commission was determined to ensure that no eligible voter was disenfranchised by administrative failures or logistical challenges.

“Our objective is uncompromising: no eligible citizen who registered should be disenfranchised by administrative or logistical friction,” he declared.

The INEC chairman disclosed that the National Register of Voters now contained more than 103 million registered citizens, following three phases of the CVR exercise conducted between August 2025 and July 2026.

According to him, the three phases recorded 2,611,266, 4,121,835 and 3,867,997 new registrants, respectively, bringing the total to 10,772,421, subject to final biometric deduplication verification.

He said the Commission introduced an online registration portal during the third phase to eliminate barriers of distance and time, while Printable PVC technology had also been activated to reduce delays in voter card collection.

Amupitan described the Enugu engagement as the third stop in INEC’s nationwide election readiness assessment tour, following visits to Lagos on September 7 and Kaduna on September 28.

He said the visit was intended to assess operational challenges directly, strengthen coordination and prepare officials for the 2027 elections.

The INEC chairman reminded staff that the presidential and National Assembly elections would hold on January 16, 2027, while governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections were scheduled for February 6, 2027.

He disclosed that nine of the 14 major activities outlined in the revised election timetable had been completed, adding that the Commission was intensifying preparations for the polls across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Amupitan commended staff for their roles in recent off-cycle governorship elections in Osun, Anambra and Ekiti states, as well as FCT Area Council polls and federal and state bye-elections.

However, he identified public distrust, voter apathy, misinformation and disinformation as major challenges that could undermine the electoral process.

He called for proactive communication, transparency and operational efficiency, warning that the conduct of election officials could either strengthen public confidence or fuel false narratives.

On election security, the chairman said INEC had strengthened its partnership with the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) and was working with security agencies to identify and address potential threats.

He disclosed that intelligence from the Department of State Services (DSS) had led to the identification and arrest of individuals allegedly involved in a plot targeting ad hoc election staff, particularly members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), adding that they would soon be prosecuted.

He also announced plans to convene a security conference to address emerging threats ahead of the elections.

On electoral technology, Amupitan said INEC was refining its result management systems, including the newly introduced eEC8A electronic verification platform, to strengthen transparency and verification through the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).

He warned that partisan conduct, negligence, extortion and ethical breaches would not be tolerated, urging staff to uphold neutrality and comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.

The chairman also disclosed that the Commission had distributed new operational pickup vehicles to state and local government offices nationwide and established an Electoral Logistics Committee to improve election planning and movement of materials.

On staff welfare, he said INEC had introduced the Consolidated Election Management Body Salary Structure (CEMBSS), effective January 1, 2026, and was advancing plans for a new salary and welfare package. He added that monthly overhead allocations to state offices had been increased by 150 per cent from July 1, 2026.

Amupitan urged officials to remain impartial, document their actions and protect the integrity of the electoral process.

“To the voter in a rural ward or an urban centre, INEC is not the Chairman in Abuja; INEC is you,” he said.

The meeting was attended by National Commissioners, Resident Electoral Commissioners from South-East states, directors from INEC headquarters, administrative secretaries, electoral officers, heads of departments, security officials and members of the media.