ANALYSIS: As INEC phases out PVC, can NIN be an alternative?

Nigeria’s electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), plans to gradually phase out the permanent voter card (PVC) as the sole means of identification for voter accreditation on Election Day. This could end the “no-PVC, no-voting” slogan that INEC has amplified for about 10 years.

INEC’s chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, recently announced the plan at a meeting. He said that computer-generated slips issued to voters or downloaded from the commission’s website will suffice for voter accreditation. Mr Yakubu said the capability of BVAS makes it unnecessary to continue making PVCs mandatory.

“Those who already have the PVCs can still use them to vote, but going forward, computer-generated slips issued to the voter or even downloaded from the Commission’s website will suffice for voter accreditation. This will not only save costs; 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,” he noted.

The introduction of the PVC and smartcard readers in 2015 piloted the integration of technology into Nigeria’s electoral system. Over the years, the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) has replaced the smart card reader. The technology of the BVAS goes beyond card reading as it has biometric features.

As things stand, the card is not used to authenticate voters; rather, the Voters Registration Number (VIN) is used to access the details of voters, while verification is done through biometric components like fingerprints and images.

“Restricting voting only to voters’ cards is apparently the worst case in Nigeria. That is why you see people buying up voters’ cards. Some persons are unable to vote because they are unable to pick up their PVCs. At every election, the number of uncollected PVCs is in thousands, if not in millions,” Austin Aigbe, an election expert, told PREMIUM TIMES during a phone interview.

“You don’t need it. We are in a digital age. It is the right proposal. A voter’s card is a voter’s card, whether it is in paper form or card. The reason for the hard copy is simple; it is because people are making fake cards. The smart card reader is supposed to read the card and authenticate it before the voter can then vote,” he added.

Many believe that the current “No PVC, no voting” system creates bottlenecks that impede voting. Before the last general elections, over 6.2 million PVCs were not collected. In Oyo State, for instance, 515,254 PVCs were not collected. This figure represented over 15 per cent of the total registered voters in the state. Many cited logistical reasons for not collecting their PVCs.

“Those who already have the PVCs can still use them to vote, but going forward, computer-generated slips issued to the voter or even downloaded from the Commission’s website will suffice for voter accreditation.

While Mr Yakubu’s argument seems logical, PVC is backed by a legislative framework: the Electoral Act. Section 16(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 empowers INEC to design, print, and control the issuance of PVCs to eligible voters whose names appear in the register.

Section 47(1) of the Act requires that the person intending to vote shall present him/herself with his/her voter’s card to the presiding officer for accreditation at the polling unit where his/her name is registered.

Since it is a matter of law, such a change would require an amendment to the Electoral Act. Any attempt to change PVC as the sole means of identification could be seen as an attempt by the ruling party to weaken the voting process, especially as it follows the last presidential election, which the two main opposition parties challenged in court.

However, Mr Aigbe advised political parties to consider the positive impact of the two initiatives. He said that, aside from reducing cost, jettisoning the PVC could improve voter turnout, facilitate a much easier transfer of polling units, and replace lost cards.

NIN as an alternative

While Mr Yakubu’s idea is to replace the PVC with computer printouts and slips, there are more proposals in the National Assembly for a bigger overhaul that would involve using the National Identity Number (NIN) as a means of identification for voting or integrating NIN in voter registration.

Bayo Balogun, the chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters, told PREMIUM TIMES during the Ghana Presidential Election in 2024 that lawmakers were moving to make NIN a mandatory requirement for voting.

“We want to ensure that before you are a voter, you must register your name. It is important because you are supposed to be a Nigerian first before you can talk about voting. And the only security number you have in Nigeria today, which is your social security number, is a NIN number.

“And we have spoken with the NIMC head. She has told us that they have the capacity to register everybody. And it is for people to come out on time to register,” Mr Balogun said during an interview in Accra, Ghana.

He added that the National Assembly will conclude all amendments before the end of the second quarter of 2025.

Mr Balogun’s proposal could complement the effort of INEC to phase out the PVC because the NIN’s unique digit could also serve as a means of identification at the polling units on election day. The NIN has been synced with other databases, and the requirement for obtaining it is more stringent than for the voter’s card.

The use of the NIMC database for electioneering is part of the mandate of the Commission.

But the question is, can it be achieved before the next general elections in 2027?

Both proposals by Messrs Yakubu and Balogun emphasise the critical need for data synchronisation as the nation struggles to harmonise data collection. Successive administrations tried to address this issue, achieving progress over the years. Notable successes include the integration of the NIN with telecommunications, passports, examination bodies, and other systems. However, the implementation process has been slow or poorly coordinated, undermining the overall impact.

Nonetheless, integrating the NIN into the electoral process may be the toughest task, considering Nigeria’s history of reviewing electoral laws. The deep mistrust among political actors in Nigeria makes innovation very difficult, particularly if they require amending or enacting laws.

During the last amendment, the electronic transmission of election results almost derailed the process as lawmakers were divided along party lines. Many within the ruling party opposed the total electronic transmission of election results, arguing that the decision should be left to INEC. However, opposition lawmakers viewed the ruling party’s stance as a lack of commitment to strengthening the electoral process.

“If a registered voter increases his/her age while registering for the NIN, it would be difficult to detect. Also, a Nigerien who has obtained a NIN could easily register to vote without detection,” Mr Aigbe said on the challenges with NIN. He added that the priority should be about removing the barriers to voting.

The Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana also proposed using the Ghana Card, a national identification card issued by the country’s National Identification Authority (NIA), as a means of identification for voting.

However, despite the country’s success with the Ghana Card, the electoral body rejected the proposal.

The use of QR codes in Ghana has helped address the issue Nigeria is now attempting to resolve. In Ghana, a voter does not need to present a voter’s card before voting because the voter register includes a QR code beside the details of each voter. A presiding officer at the polling unit can use the Biometric Verification Devices (BVD) to scan the QR code, and the voter’s details will appear.

The EC believes integrating the Ghana Card into the electoral system is critical, but politicians in parliament were unconvinced.

Mboho Eno, a deputy director at the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development, said the main objective should be to remove barriers to voting by making it easier for voters to participate. He noted that using the PVC as the sole means of identification for voting often creates barriers.

“The CSOs in Nigeria have been advocating for the abolition of the PVC. The ultimate aim, no matter the improvement, should be about allowing citizens to vote wherever they find themselves,” Mr Eno said.

With time ticking ahead of the 2027 general elections, all eyes will be on the National Assembly to act on the Electoral Act. Lawmakers are expected to conclude work on the electoral law by the year’s second quarter.

Need for Strong Digital Infrastructure in Africa

This situation underscores the critical need for developing digital infrastructure in Nigeria and across Africa to deepen economic and political development.

As stated, one of the mandates of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), the body responsible for managing the national identity system in Nigeria, is to create a fundamental identity card system that could enhance the electoral system. However, due to the lengthy timeframe for the system to meet its mandate, multiple functional identity card systems have been created, forcing the government to embark on data harmonisation.

The lack of a reliable fundamental identity system in Nigeria and the deep mistrust among political actors make implementing changes to the electoral system difficult.

Until digital infrastructure is robust and trusted, Nigeria’s electoral and broader governance reforms will continue to face challenges that hinder progress. The journey to phasing out the PVC and integrating the NIN into the electoral process reflects the broader challenges of trust, capacity, and political will that define the country’s governance landscape.

This report is produced under the DPI Africa Journalism Fellowship Programme of the Media Foundation for West Africa and Co-Develop