CONTRARY to the recent directive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) urging registered voters to visit their registration areas to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), voters under Phase 3 of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise have been told that their cards are not yet ready for collection.
A handwritten notice pasted at the gate of the INEC Area Office in Karu Site, Abuja stated that only PVCs for Phase 1 and Phase 2, covering CVR conducted before 2026, were available for collection.
The notice, which is unsigned, specifically stated: “ALL P.V.C. FOR PHASE 3 (APRIL-JULY, 2026) ARE NOT YET READY FOR COLLECTION.”
It directed eligible voters to collect their cards and check the display of the Preliminary Register of Voters (PRV) at designated Registration Area (RA) centres between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. daily within the stated period.
The designated centres are the Women Development Centre in Karshi for Karshi RA; LEA Primary School, Orozo, for Orozo RA; LEA Primary School, Karu, opposite Karu Market, for Karu RA; and Government Secondary School, Nyanya, beside the police station, for Nyanya RA.
However, the notice did not indicate when PVCs for Phase 3, which covers registrations conducted between April and July 2026, would be ready for collection.
A security guard at the INEC Area Office in Karu Site told National Record that those expecting Phase 3 PVCs should check back at the end of October.
The development left several prospective voters frustrated when they arrived at the office to collect their cards.
A National Record reporter who visited the office on Tuesday met several people who had come expecting to collect their PVCs, only to find that there were no INEC officials on ground to respond to their enquiries.
The situation could cause confusion among registered voters, particularly following INEC’s recent public call for voters to visit their registration areas to collect their PVCs.
While the notice indicates that cards from Phase 1 and Phase 2 are available, it makes clear that voters registered during Phase 3 will have to wait for a further announcement on the availability of their PVCs.
