Rotimi Idris
Stakeholders have called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to provide clear guidelines and robust security measures for the implementation of downloadable Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), describing the innovation as a major reform that could enhance voter participation if properly managed.
The stakeholders made the call at a Multi-Stakeholder Roundtable on Legal Compliance and Electoral Integrity organised by the New Generation Girls and Women Development Initiative (NIGAWD) under the Youth Electoral Reform Project (YERP-Naija) in Ado-Ekiti ahead of the June 20 governorship election in Ekiti State.
The meeting, attended by civil society organisations, youth groups, legal practitioners and security agencies, adopted a set of recommendations urging INEC to fully operationalise downloadable PVCs in preparation for the 2026 Osun governorship election and the 2027 general elections.
The stakeholders specifically asked the electoral commission to define who qualifies for downloadable PVCs and under what conditions they could be issued.
They also urged INEC to establish and widely publicise a secure digital platform through which eligible voters would be able to obtain the credentials without compromising the integrity of the electoral process.
This recommendation formed part of broader calls on INEC to strictly comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 in conducting the Ekiti State off-cycle governorship election.
Meanwhile, speaking at the event, the Executive Director of NIGAWD and Southwest Coordinator of the Youth-Led Electoral Reform Project, Abimbola Aladejare-Salako, described the Ekiti election as the first major test of the Electoral Act 2026, which was signed into law by President Bola Tinubu in February this year.
She said the roundtable was convened to sensitise stakeholders on the provisions of the new electoral law and ensure that its innovations are effectively implemented.
According to her, the agitation for electoral reforms gained momentum after the 2023 general elections when many young Nigerians expressed dissatisfaction with the conduct and outcome of the polls.
Her words, “As you all know, Nigeria now has a new electoral law signed into law in February 2026, and Ekiti is going to be the first state where the law will be tested and run.
“Following the 2023 general election, many young people expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome. We organised ourselves, consulted widely and asked Nigerians, especially young people, what they wanted to see in a new electoral law.
“We were able to successfully push some of our key recommendations into the Electoral Act 2026. These include compulsory electronic transmission of election results to the IReV portal and continuous voter registration to ensure young people are not disenfranchised because they cannot obtain their Permanent Voter Cards,” she said.
Aladejare-Salako noted that the introduction of downloadable PVCs was one of the major innovations of the new law, adding that civil society organisations would closely monitor how the provision is implemented during the Ekiti election.
“We want to ensure that these recommendations are implemented. INEC has indicated that young people will be able to use downloadable PVCs to vote, and we want to monitor how this is operationalised.
“We also want to ensure that the mandatory electronic transmission of results is implemented to the letter.
“That is why we brought together key stakeholders to have a conversation around the Electoral Act and the forthcoming election.
“This forum is for us to rub minds together and call on INEC to play by the book by ensuring that the new provisions of the Electoral Act are implemented to the letter in the coming election”.
Also speaking, the Programme Director of the National Democratic Institute (NDI), Bem Aga, described the call by NIGAWD as timely, urging INEC to maximise the opportunities provided by the Electoral Act 2026 and the commission’s guidelines to deliver a credible, inclusive and transparent election.
“The call by NIGAWD is timely. INEC should take advantage of the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 and the Commission’s guidelines to conduct credible and inclusive elections that the people of Ekiti State can be proud of”.
On legal compliance, Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikere Branch, Temitope Kolawole, expressed confidence in INEC’s commitment to complying with the law but said continuous engagement with stakeholders remained essential.
“So far, I believe INEC has been complying with the law. But in order to forestall any shortcomings, we are here today to interact and know from INEC itself if there are areas where they might have challenges.
“Stakeholders can readily assist or bring such issues to public attention if necessary”.
Also speaking, the Public Relations Officer of the Ekiti State Police Command, SP Sunday Abutu, assured residents of adequate security before, during and after the election.
Abutu said the police, in collaboration with other security agencies, had concluded arrangements for massive deployment of personnel across the state to guarantee a peaceful electoral process.
“The Ekiti governorship election is fast approaching and I want to reaffirm our commitment to the safety of all citizens of Ekiti State.
“The police, working with other security agencies, are ready to provide adequate and necessary security for everyone before, during and after the election.
“There is no cause for alarm. We are fully prepared. We have deployments from within and outside the command, and we are going to ensure that the state remains peaceful throughout the election period” he added.
