INEC begins voters’ register display, PVC distribution in Yobe

By Maryam Abdul-aziz Usman

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced the display of the preliminary voters’ register and distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) across the 17 local government areas of Yobe State, giving registered voters seven days to verify their details and report errors.

The exercise began at about 9am on Friday, October 9, in line with a directive from the commission’s national headquarters.

The Head of Voter Education and Publicity at INEC in Yobe, Nuhu Ibrahim, said the state received its PVCs early, enabling voters to begin collecting their cards before the commencement of the current display exercise.

“Yobe is one of the states that received their cards earliest, and voters have been collecting their cards since then. The display officially commenced today and will last for seven days to enable registered voters to identify errors in their details, such as spelling mistakes and incorrect ages, so that the commission can address them promptly,” Ibrahim said.

He explained that the current exercise covered the first phase of the registration process, adding that the lists for voters registered during the second and third phases would be displayed later.

A visit to Central Primary School in Damaturu Local Government Area showed INEC officials displaying preliminary lists as residents checked their names and sought to collect available PVCs.

The Damaturu Local Government Electoral Officer, Ahmed Alhaji Waziri, identified the failure of some voters to present their temporary voter cards and inadequate mobilisation as challenges affecting the exercise.

Waziri said temporary voter cards could help officials trace the corresponding PVCs, adding that some applicants who registered during the second and third phases of the Continuous Voter Registration exercise had turned up expecting to collect their cards.

He explained that the available PVCs comprised uncollected cards from the 2023 general election and cards produced during the first phase of the latest registration exercise, conducted between August and December 2025.

At the ward level, Electoral Officer Alhaji Ibrahim Ibrahim said residents began visiting the centres within hours of the preliminary lists being displayed.

“Just a few hours after we displayed the preliminary lists of registered voters, people had already started coming forward to check their names and claim their cards,” he said.

One of the voters, Musa Gambo, said he had found his name on the list and intended to collect his PVC.

“I have seen my name on the list, and I will collect my Permanent Voter Card,” Gambo said.

INEC urged political parties, community leaders and other stakeholders to sustain voter mobilisation, stressing that efforts to encourage eligible citizens to register should be matched with initiatives to ensure they collect their PVCs and participate in the electoral process.

The seven-day display also provides registered voters an opportunity to identify errors in their personal details and request corrections by the commission.

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