The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that 116,745 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) belonging to newly registered voters in Lagos State are yet to be collected.
The commission’s Administrative Secretary in Lagos, Mrs Adenike Tadese, disclosed this on Friday while providing an update on PVC collection under the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.
Tadese explained that INEC had received a total of 177,295 PVCs belonging to eligible residents who registered during Phase One of the 2025 CVR exercise.
According to her, the commission’s weekly update as of Monday showed that only 60,550 cards had been collected by their owners, leaving 116,745 still awaiting collection.
She described the number of uncollected cards as significant, stressing that eligible voters must obtain their PVCs to participate in the 2027 general elections.
Tadese stated that the cards were available for collection at INEC’s local government offices across Lagos State. She emphasised that PVCs must be collected personally by their owners, as collection through proxies would not be permitted.
“The cards are available for collection by their owners, not by proxy, at the various local government offices of the commission in Lagos,” she said.
The INEC official urged stakeholders to intensify mobilisation efforts to encourage both previously registered voters who had yet to collect their cards and those registered during the 2025 exercise to do so.
She appealed to eligible voters to collect their PVCs before the collection period closes ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Tadese also disclosed that PVCs belonging to residents who completed their registration during the 2026 CVR exercise before its closure would soon be ready for collection.
She, however, urged voters to maintain orderliness and cooperate with electoral officials throughout the collection process.
Reaffirming INEC’s commitment to conducting free, fair and credible elections, Tadese said the commission remained determined to deliver an electoral process that would be acceptable to all stakeholders.
She further called on political parties, candidates and other stakeholders to ensure peaceful campaigns and comply with electoral guidelines to promote a peaceful environment ahead of the 2027 general elections.
