CLAIM:
A message going viral on WhatsApp has given the impression that citizens can vote without their permanent voter’s card (PVC). “The Good News!!! Anyone who didn’t see their PVC should confirm their names on http://cvr.inecnigeria.org/vvs Once your name is there, copy the last 5 digits of your VIN and keep it handy. With that, you are eligible to vote. That is what the BVAS has done for us. Please share.”
CDD fact-checkers reviewed the 2022 Electoral Act – the legal instrument guiding this election process – and were able to determine that a voter’s card is required for voting. Section 47(1) of the Act specifies that a citizen must submit his voter’s card to a presiding officer for accreditation at the polling place in the constituency where his name is recorded.
Furthermore, no voter can be accredited without the Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC). The Chair of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmood Yakubu, recently reaffirmed that the commission has always upheld the rule of “no PVC, no vote”.
VERDICT:
False
CONCLUSION:
CDD fact-checkers can confirm that the statement is False – Citizens can NOT vote without their PVC. CDD urges members of the public to read beyond headlines before sharing any news report, especially as we approach the February/March general elections.
For more information, the CDD War Room has also released an explainer on All you need to know about PVCs
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