By Gabriel Ameh
Yiaga Africa has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to urgently clarify its position on the proposed downloadable Permanent Voter Card (PVC) ahead of the forthcoming Ekiti State governorship election.
The call followed the observation of INEC’s mock accreditation exercise conducted across six Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Ekiti State on June 12, 2026. Yiaga Africa deployed observers to selected centres in Ado-Ekiti and Ikere LGAs to assess the readiness of electoral processes and technology ahead of the election.
According to the civic organisation, the exercise commenced at 8:00 a.m. and ended at 2:30 p.m., with INEC officials present throughout the exercise. Observers reported that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) functioned efficiently at all locations monitored, recording an average accreditation time of less than one minute per voter.
Yiaga Africa described the performance of the BVAS as a positive indication of INEC’s technical preparedness for the governorship election.
Despite the smooth operation of the accreditation technology, the organisation noted that voter turnout during the exercise was generally low. Across the four centres observed, only 79 voters had participated by 1:00 p.m.
The group also observed that some individuals who presented themselves for accreditation at the Ado 1 Dalimore centre were unable to participate because they were not registered voters in the designated polling unit.
Yiaga Africa said the development highlights the need for stronger voter education and public awareness campaigns to ensure citizens understand the purpose of mock accreditation exercises and are familiar with their correct polling units.
The organisation, however, expressed concern over conflicting information regarding the proposed downloadable PVC.
According to Yiaga Africa, some polling officials were aware of the initiative but stated that they had not received any official directive from INEC headquarters on whether the downloadable PVC would be accepted during the governorship election.
In Ikere LGA, some electoral officials reportedly informed observers that the downloadable PVC would not be used. Meanwhile, some registered voters who visited INEC offices to collect their PVCs were reportedly told that a downloadable version would be available online for election-day use, although the option was not accessible on INEC’s portal at the time of the observation.
Further observations at an INEC ad hoc staff training centre in Ikere revealed that training manuals contained provisions relating to the downloadable PVC. However, facilitators reportedly said they had not been instructed to train election officials on those provisions.
Yiaga Africa warned that the inconsistency between official training materials and guidance provided to trainers could create confusion among election personnel and lead to varying interpretations of accreditation procedures on election day.
The organisation urged INEC to immediately clarify its position on the downloadable PVC and communicate the decision consistently to electoral officials, political parties, civil society organisations and the general public.
Yiaga Africa also recommended that INEC align all training materials and instructions with its official accreditation policies, intensify voter education efforts and continue testing election technologies while maintaining contingency plans for potential technical challenges.
The organisation commended INEC for conducting the mock accreditation exercise, noting that early testing, transparent communication and timely correction of identified gaps are critical to strengthening public confidence in the electoral process.
Yiaga Africa stated that it will continue monitoring pre-election activities in Ekiti State and engaging stakeholders to promote a credible, transparent and inclusive governorship election.
