The Resident Electoral Commissioner for the FCT, Aminu Kasimu Idris, made this known during a media briefing in Abuja on January 20, where he explained that the ward-level collection would take place from January 22 to January 26, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily. He added that voters who are unable to collect their cards during this period can do so later at INEC Area Council offices.
The PVCs available include those issued to newly registered voters, individuals who transferred their registration to or within the FCT, persons who applied for replacement of damaged or missing cards, and cards from previous registration exercises that were not collected.
Idris stated that only Permanent Voter Cards will be accepted for voter accreditation during the election, noting that collection must be done in person by the card owners.
He also provided an update on voter registration figures, stating that after the suspension of the Continuous Voter Registration exercise in October 2025, over 106,000 people registered as new voters. After data cleaning, more than 102,000 were added to the voters’ register, bringing the total number of registered voters in the FCT to over 1.68 million. He added that thousands of voters transferred their registration into and out of the territory during the period.
On election readiness, the REC said INEC had carried out several activities, including monitoring party primaries, publishing final lists of candidates, overseeing campaigns, receiving election materials, preparing BVAS devices, accrediting observers and media organisations, and training election officials and security personnel.
He added that voter education efforts have been increased, the final register of voters has been released, and coordination with security agencies and transport unions is ongoing to support smooth election logistics.
Idris assured residents that INEC has taken into account the population size, terrain, and security needs of the FCT in its planning and called on the media to help spread accurate information and encourage voters to collect their PVCs on time.