INEC Eyes Diaspora and Voting Without PVC in New Reform Agenda

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has unveiled a set of reform recommendations to address challenges observed during the 2023 general elections and subsequent off-cycle polls.

This was disclosed by INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, during a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) held at the INEC Conference Room in Abuja on Thursday, December 12, 2024.

The commission’s newly released 524-page report on the 2023 elections contains 142 recommendations for improving Nigeria’s electoral process. Prof. Yakubu stated that the proposed reforms emerged from extensive consultations within INEC and with external stakeholders, drawing lessons from five governorship elections and nine bye-elections conducted since the general elections.

“Out of the 142 recommendations, 86 require administrative action by the Commission,” Yakubu said. He added that 48 recommendations involve collaboration with other stakeholders, including security agencies, political parties, and civil society, while eight require legislative amendments by the National Assembly.

Among the standout recommendations is the proposal to replace the use of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for accreditation with computer-generated voter slips.

“The Commission also believes that with the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), the use of the Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVC) as the sole means of identification for voter accreditation on Election Day should be reviewed,” Yakubu said.

While noting that those who already have the PVCs can still use them to vote, he added that going forward, computer-generated slips issued to the voter or even downloaded from the Commission’s website will suffice for voter accreditation.

This, according to him, “will not only save cost, it will also eliminate the issues around the collection of PVCs and the diabolical practice of buying up the cards from voters in order to disenfranchise them.”

Another critical reform is the push for diaspora voting, which would allow Nigerians living abroad to participate in elections.

Additionally, INEC is advocating early or special voting provisions for electoral workers, security personnel, journalists, and observers who are deployed to locations different from where they registered.

“There are recommendations for early or special voting for millions of Nigerians who do not vote currently due to the roles they play during elections,” Yakubu noted.

The report also calls for the establishment of an electoral offenses tribunal and a separate agency to handle the registration and regulation of political parties. Other proposals include cleaning up the voters’ register in collaboration with agencies like the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), affirmative action for underrepresented groups, and improved voter education to counter fake news and misinformation.

Yakubu further highlighted the need for clearer legal provisions on result management, particularly the balance between manual and electronic result transmission.

“These reforms are essential to ensuring that our electoral process becomes more inclusive, transparent, and efficient,” he concluded.