Nigeria’s general elections will take place on February 25, 2024. Since the 2024 elections, approximately 20 million Nigerians have reached the voting age of 18. While every Nigerian citizen has the right to vote, logistical challenges may prevent them from exercising that right. However , one of the most important steps in the voting process can be taken right now: obtaining a Permanent Voters Card (PVC).
On Election Day, voters must present a PVC issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in order to vote. Previously, PVC registration was a time-consuming process that required people to stand in line for days. Because INEC has launched an online portal for this purpose, any Nigerian citizen with internet access can now register for a PVC on their own. In addition to registering for a new PVC, voters can use the site to transfer their cards to another state or request that a card be reissued.
The deadline for online PVC registration, which began in June 2024, is June 30, 2022. More than 16 million people have registered as of May 12, 2022. However, INEC chairman Mahmud Yakubu revealed in April that approximately 45 percent of these registrations were declared invalid due to insufficient data and incorrect or multiple registrations. The chairman went on to say that in some areas, that percentage was as high as 60%.
Follow the 5 simple steps below to register for your PVC online and ensure a valid registration.
Visit the INEC website
The first step in registering your PVC online is to visit the INEC registration portal and click on “Get Started.” You will be directed to a new page containing a list of services. Select “New Voter Pre-registration.” Please keep in mind that this option is only available to people who have never registered their PVC before. If your card is lost or you want to update your information for a new card, there are other options on the site.
Before we continue, please keep in mind that you can only register once. Wait for confirmation after submitting your application, and then do not try to register again—you risk having your registration invalidated because signing up multiple times is considered a crime.
Create a portal account or login
Before you can access the registration form, you must first sign in to your portal account or create one. Fill in your name, email, phone number, and password, then click “Submit.” It is critical that you use an email address that y ou have access to, as you will receive an email immediately to verify your account.If you can’t find the email, it could be in your spam folder.
You should be able to find mail from the INEC CVR Portal in your email app. To return to the sign-in page you saw earlier, open it and click on the link contained within it. Click “Log In” again and enter your email address and the password you just created. Following that, you will be directed to a Declaration page where you will be asked to confirm that all information you provide is correct. Before proceeding, make sure to click “Yes.”
Register
You will be taken to the main registration form after the Declaration page. The following information is required for the form:
Name, date of birth, gender, occupation, address, NIN, and nationality are all part of the biodata.
Additional information: education level, disability, maiden name
Residence: country of residence, state of residence, local government area (LGA), or city of residence
Birth details include the following: country of birth, state of birth, LGA or city of birth. Country of origin, state of origin, LGA or city of residence, and place of origin (town or village)
Polling unit: This is information about the state, local government, and voting area in which you wish to vote.
You will find space at the bottom of the page for supporting documents such as your national identity card or passport. Although this step is optional, it speeds up the verification process by making it simple to confirm your identity. It also allows INEC to connect your INEC profile to other databases.
After that, click “Save and Continue,” and you’ll be directed to a new page with confirmation that your application has been successfully updated.
If you do not receive this confirmation, click the three black lines in the top right corner of your screen to view the status of your application.
Upload Photographs
Following that, you must upload two clear close-up photographs of your face, one with a neutral expression and one with you smiling.To upload your photos, go to your camera and click “Choose File.” As soon as you take a selfie, click “Use Photo,” and it will be resized and uploaded automatically. Make certain that the photos are clear and well-lit. You are now ready to proceed to the next step.
Schedule an appointment
After you’ve learned how to register for your PVC online, the next step is to set up a convenient appointment date to have your biometric data collected. Biometrics are physical characteristics that are unique to you, such as your height and fingerprints. On this page, you’ll see a form with a list of options for the nearest places to get your biometrics done. These options are derived from the address you provided when completing your biodata. There are 811 biometrics capture centers across the country, with more being built. A list of all centers, organized by state, can be found here.
The portal also includes a schedule of available times for your biometrics. Choose the one that is most convenient for you. Biometrics take approximately 30 minutes to complete, and the officials are on time. If you miss your appointment date or time, you can always reschedule through the INEC portal. After you’ve decided on a date and time, you can submit your application.
You are now on your way to becoming a registered voter. Following your biometrics appointment, you will be given a temporary voters‘ card (TVC) as proof that you participated in the voting process. Keep it in a secure location. When the PVC is ready, INEC will contact you and ask you to pick it up at the same location where you had your biometrics taken. This can take anywhere from one to three months.
Please keep in mind that you must present your TVC in order to receive the PVC. If you have lost your TVC, you can reprint it from the online portal. To access your form, all you need to do is enter your log in information.