The Independent National Electoral Commission has explained why those who registered in the third phase of its Continuous Voter Registration are yet to receive their Permanent Voter Cards, even as it announced a massive purge of the national voter register ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The disclosure was made by the commission’s Chairman, Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, at a press conference in Abuja on Monday, ValidViewNetwork reports.
THE PVC DELAY
Amupitan was direct about the production timeline. “The distribution of Phases 1 and 2 of the PVC and transferred PVCs is ongoing at the various LGAs in Nigeria. Some of the PVC for the third and final Phase are being delivered and they would be dispatched to the States by next week,” he said .
He then offered the explanation that has frustrated millions of registrants. “Meanwhile as from 1st December 2026, distribution will go back to the Registration Areas all over Nigeria. We appeal to those that registered in the third phase to be a little bit patient since the production is done outside the country”.
Vanguard recalls that those who registered in total in the third phase were 2,970,257 before the commission’s de-duplication protocol .
THE REGISTER PURGE
The commission announced the removal of 1,609,553 records from the voters’ register. “The Commission recognises that the detection of irregularities raises legitimate questions about how they arose. The response is evidence-led investigation, completed corrective action and stronger preventive controls,” Amupitan said. “1,609,553 records have been removed, comprising 1,608,660 confirmed invalid registrations and 873 verified deceased-voter records.
INEC will continue to communicate verifiable aggregate outcomes while protecting personal information and the integrity of ongoing investigations”.
THE 54 STAFF
The investigation indicted internal personnel who abused their offices.
Amupitan revealed that the commission identified 54 staff members across 10 states who deliberately bypassed standard operating procedures and exploited special provisions meant for vulnerable citizens, such as persons with disabilities.
Disciplinary actions and possible prosecutions have been initiated against the culprits.
THE ADC JUDGMENT
Reacting to media inquiries surrounding court cases involving political actors, Amupitan maintained that the electoral umpire operates strictly on authenticated legal instruments rather than speculative reports.
“On ADC/Atiku: as of today, we have not received the Certified True Copy of the court judgment and we don’t act based on what we see on the social media,” he said.
THE ANALYTICAL LENS
QThis press conference was supposed to be about the 2.9 million unprinted PVCs. It became something else entirely.
The PVC delay is a logistical problem. The register purge is a credibility problem. And the ADC judgment is a political problem.
On the PVCs, INEC’s explanation is that production is done outside the country and the third phase is still being delivered. It is a plausible excuse, but it does not answer the question that matters to the 2.9 million registrants: when will they get their cards?
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“A little bit of patience” is not a timeline.On the register, the commission has done what it promised. It has removed 1.6 million invalid and deceased records. It has identified 54 staff who abused their positions. It has initiated disciplinary action. This is accountability, and it is welcome.
But the purge also raises a question. If 1.6 million records were invalid, how did they get into the register in the first place? The answer, as the commission admits, is that its own officers exploited the system.
The register was compromised from within. And the 54 staff are a symptom of a deeper problem.
On the ADC judgment, INEC’s position is legally sound. It cannot act on a judgment it has not received.
But the commission knows that the political world is watching. Atiku Abubakar has vowed to stay on the ballot. The ADC has appealed. And INEC is waiting for the CTC.
The PVCs will be printed. The register will be cleaned. The judgment will be received. But the clock is ticking toward 2027, and the questions are not going away. ValidViewNetwork reports.