The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will begin displaying the preliminary register of voters and distributing available Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) across Sokoto State from October 9 to 15, 2026.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Umar Yusuf Garba, disclosed this on Thursday while briefing journalists on the commission’s preparations for the 2027 general elections.
Garba said the exercise was part of activities ahead of the elections, with the presidential and National Assembly polls scheduled for January 16, 2027, while the governorship and state House of Assembly elections would hold on February 6, 2027.
He said the preliminary register would be displayed at registration areas across the state, particularly in areas without security concerns, to enable registered voters to verify their details and submit claims or objections where necessary.
According to him, “The Independent National Electoral Commission will commence the display of the preliminary register of voters for claims and objections, as well as the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards from the 9th to the 15th of October 2026.”
He explained that the PVCs available for collection belonged to voters who registered between August 18 and December 10, 2025, during the first phase of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.
“The PVCs currently available are exclusively for newly registered voters from the first phase of the last Continuous Voter Registration exercise,” he said.
Garba clarified that PVCs relating to lost or damaged cards, updates, transfers and other categories from subsequent phases of the CVR exercise were not yet ready for collection.
He said the commission would provide further information when the affected cards became available.
The REC added that after the registration area-level exercise ends on October 15, PVC distribution would continue at INEC offices across the state’s 23 local government areas.
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“This is to enable eligible voters who could not collect their cards at the registration area level to do so,” he said.
Garba urged registered voters to use the opportunity to verify their names and other registration details, describing the display of the preliminary register as an important part of the electoral process.
He said the exercise was being conducted in accordance with Section 19(1) of the Electoral Act 2026, which provides for the display of the register of voters ahead of the general election.
The REC also said INEC had maintained close collaboration with security agencies throughout the recent voter registration exercise, noting that security advice contributed to the peaceful conduct of the process.
“Throughout the registration of voters held recently, the commission took the advice of security agencies very seriously, and this contributed to a safe process without any casualty,” Garba said.
He assured eligible voters that the commission would make efforts to distribute PVCs to registered voters across the 23 local government areas.
On internally displaced persons (IDPs), Garba said INEC was working with security agencies to determine the number of displaced persons in the state and ensure that those living in officially recognised camps were not disenfranchised.
He said, “The commission is always talking with security agencies to ascertain the numbers of IDPs in the state. We are working to ensure that they vote once they are in official and recognised camps.”
Garba, however, said the commission was not yet ready to disclose the total number of registered voters in Sokoto State, assuring journalists that the figures would be released at the appropriate time.
He urged political parties, eligible voters, stakeholders and members of the public to cooperate with INEC officials to ensure the exercise was conducted peacefully, transparently and in accordance with the law.
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