Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced plans to begin distributing Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in Sokoto State to residents who registered during the 2025 Continuous Voter Registration exercise, assuring that internally displaced persons (IDPs) will not be left out.
The Sokoto State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Umar Yusuf Garba, gave the assurance on Thursday while addressing journalists at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat in Sokoto.
Garba said the commission would also display the Register of Voters to allow eligible voters to check their details and report any errors or omissions.
He explained that the exercise would enable registered voters who could not collect their PVCs at the Registration Area (RA) level to do so.
The REC also assured that INEC would continue visiting IDP camps across the state to ensure that displaced residents could participate in the electoral process despite the security challenges that forced them from their homes.
“We intend to visit all IDPs centres on continuous basis so that every aspect of the exercise went smoothly, peacefully and transparently,” he said.
Garba said the exercise was being conducted in line with Section 19(1) of the Electoral Act 2026, as amended, which provides for the display of the Register of Voters 90 days before the general election.
He urged all registered voters to visit designated display centres in their respective Registration Areas between October 9 and 15, 2026, to verify their information and report any errors, omissions or objections through the prescribed channels.
The REC added that INEC had yet to release comprehensive figures for registered voters because the process was still ongoing for people who registered recently.
The commission’s planned visits to IDP camps are intended to help displaced residents access the voter registration process and protect their opportunity to participate in future elections.
The exercise is also expected to give eligible voters an opportunity to correct inaccuracies in the register ahead of the next general election.
