2027 Elections: 29,314 PVCs uncollected in Taraba – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says 29,314 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) remain uncollected in Taraba State ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Sa’ad Idris, disclosed this on Monday at a stakeholders’ meeting on election preparedness, PVC distribution and collaboration ahead of the polls in Jalingo.

Mr Idris said the uncollected cards comprised 13,826 old PVCs issued between 2011 and 2023 and 15,488 cards produced during the first phase of the 2025 voter registration exercise.

He said the commission received 15,568 old PVCs, but only 1,742, representing about 11 per cent, had been collected.

Similarly, of the 31,676 new cards received from the first phase of the 2025 registration exercise, 16,188, representing 51 per cent, had been collected.

The REC attributed the low collection rate to inadequate voter sensitisation and urged political parties, traditional rulers, religious leaders and other stakeholders to mobilise eligible voters to collect their cards.

INEC said PVC distribution would continue at its offices across Taraba’s 16 local government areas from 19 October to 30 November, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays, excluding public holidays.

Mr Idris said a final distribution exercise would take place at the Registration Area level from 1 to 7 December. The exercise would cover all phases of registration, transfers and replacement of cards arising from requests made between 18 August 2025 and 26 July 2026.

He added that the commission had taken PVC distribution closer to residents during the display of the Preliminary Register of Voters and the claims and objections exercise conducted at ward and Registration Area levels from 9 to 15 October 2026.

According to him, 2,254,380 registered voters were captured in the register displayed during the exercise.

However, he said the figure was provisional because INEC was still processing complaints, claims and objections submitted by members of the public.

He said the final figure would be announced after the completion of data integration.

On preparations for the 2027 elections, Mr Idris said INEC had begun renovating some of its offices, training staff and mapping electoral facilities across the state to ensure effective polling arrangements.

He added that testing of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) had been completed, while a mock accreditation exercise was scheduled for November to assess the technology’s readiness ahead of election day.

The REC said recruitment of election officials began on 18 September 2026 and urged qualified Nigerians to apply through the commission’s recruitment portal before the 18 November deadline.

He also said INEC was collaborating with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) on vehicle hire and transportation arrangements to ensure the timely movement of election personnel and materials across the state.

The Taraba State Commissioner of Police, Edwin Ogbeghagha, assured political parties that the police would remain neutral during the 2027 elections.

Mr Ogbeghagha warned politicians and their supporters against violence and other actions capable of disrupting the electoral process.

He said security agencies were prepared to work with political parties and other stakeholders to ensure peaceful elections before, during and after the polls.

The police commissioner urged political actors to avoid treating elections as a do-or-die affair, stressing that a credible and peaceful electoral process required the cooperation of all stakeholders.

He also urged political parties to notify security agencies of their campaign activities and cooperate with them to prevent avoidable clashes and threats to public safety.

Mr Ogbeghagha said the police would remain accessible to political parties, attend to their complaints and provide necessary guidance. He added that security agencies would not discriminate against any party.

The Director-General of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Kuriya Tafarki, commended INEC for bringing political parties, security agencies, civil society organisations and other stakeholders together ahead of the elections.

Mr Tafarki, who said he had participated in electoral activities for nearly three decades, called for sustained engagement among stakeholders to address grievances and prevent electoral disputes from escalating.

He urged security agencies to respond promptly to complaints relating to electoral activities and expressed concern about the possible deployment of personnel unfamiliar with the languages and peculiarities of their assigned communities.

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The IPAC director-general said improved communication and cooperation among stakeholders would help promote peaceful elections in 2027.

The Aku Uka of Wukari, Ishaku Ali, who was represented at the meeting, reaffirmed the commitment of traditional rulers in Taraba to peaceful elections and voter mobilisation.

He said traditional institutions would remain non-partisan while encouraging residents to fulfil their civic responsibilities.

The monarch urged politicians and their supporters to regard one another as fellow Nigerians, irrespective of their political affiliations, and support peaceful participation in the electoral process.