By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expressed concern over the large number of uncollected Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in Osun State, barely months before the 2026 governorship election.
Speaking in Osogbo on Wednesday during a media briefing with the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Osun State Correspondents’ Chapel, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Mutiu Agboke, revealed that 360,794 PVCs are yet to be collected.
According to Dr. Agboke, “Osun currently has 1,954,800 registered voters, and to expand voter participation, the commission will begin the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) from August 25, 2025.”
He explained that the CVR exercise will register new eligible voters, allow voters who have changed locations to transfer their registration, and replace lost or damaged PVCs. He appealed to the media and stakeholders to join hands with the commission to sensitise the public.
“We implore the media to help mobilise people to come out and collect their PVCs. No PVC, no voting,” he stressed.
Dr. Agboke announced that online registration would begin on August 18, 2025, via www.cvr.inecnigeria.org. He also warned INEC staff against extorting registrants. “Nobody should collect money from registrants. The exercise is free,” he said.
On the use of technology, particularly the Bi-modal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), Dr. Agboke clarified that the Supreme Court has not ruled against its usage. “The court only reaffirmed the importance of the voter register as the foundation of all electoral processes,” he noted.
He added that the 2022 Electoral Act empowers INEC to use technology and hinted that new innovations may be introduced by 2027 to further improve elections.
“Overvoting can occur without our knowledge, especially since BVAS operates offline. It only needs a network to upload data. We are committed to addressing this challenge with the support of stakeholders,” he concluded.