According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), non-sensitive election materials are nearly ready for deployment, and preparations for the 2027 general election are moving forward.
Professor Rhoda Gumus, acting chair of the Independent National Voter Registration Commission (INEC), revealed this during a Thursday meeting in Abuja with representatives from the IEBC, Kenya’s electoral authority.
The commission is almost finished preparing the non-sensitive materials, she added, adding that some of them have already been sent to specified zones in advance of the elections.
She went on to say that INEC was getting ready for the next step in the process now that nine of the activities on its election schedule had been accomplished.
Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) have been manufactured and distributed to the majority of states, she said, adding that the commission has finished the production process. Gathering of PVC was continuing, she said.
In addition, Gumus mentioned that the commission was training employees at the federal and state levels, and that they were acquiring and deploying Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) equipment.
In order to gauge our readiness for the next elections, we have travelled to each of the six geopolitical zones. “However, the current electoral law does not make provision for diaspora voting,” she stated, meaning that Nigerians residing overseas will not have the right to vote in the 2027 election.
Before diaspora voting could become viable, she said, the election legislation would have to be amended to accommodate the provision.