Your Nigeria’s permanent voter card (PVC) has no expiry date

A viral statement which was accorded to the APC chieftain and national leader who happens to be a presidential aspirant, Bola Tinubu, has called for answers as to what the electoral act says. The former Governor of Lagos stated while addressing some of his campaigners during the week advised them to go get their permanent voters card (PVC), and make sure that they vote in the upcoming elections. 

He also charged those that already have permanent voters card (pvc) to go and re-register with Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) so that another pvc will be issued to them as the pvc currently in their possession may have expired. He’s quoted to have said: “Incase they (INEC) do not announce it to you on time, the PVC you have has expired”.

Does PVC expire?

Commonsensically, the use of the word ‘permanent’ indicates that a voters card issued to an individual is for a lifetime unless that pvc is lost by the holder, torn or defaced but as for expiration; pvc has no expiry date; it does not expire as claimed by the apc national leader, Bola Tinubu.

The law specifically provided in s.16(2) of the electoral act of 2010 that no voter shall hold more than one voters card and any body who does have or hold more than one voters card is an offender and shall be liable for 1 year imprisonment or a fine of N100,000 as provided in sub 3 of the section 16 of the act.

A voter is only allowed to apply for another permanent voters card if the voters card he was previously issued is torn, defaced or lost: these are the grounds a voter can apply to INEC for another pvc as provided by the electoral act. This is the provision of s.18(1&2) and it reads thus:. –

(1) Whenever a Voter’s card is lost, destroyed, defaced, torn or otherwise damaged, the owner of such card shall, not less than thirty (30) days before polling day, apply in person to the Electoral Officer or any other officer duly authorized for that purpose by the Resident Electoral Commissioner, stating the circumstances of the loss, destruction, defacement or damage.

(2) If the Electoral Officer or any other officer is satisfied as to the circumstances of the loss, destruction, defacement or damage of the Voters’ card, he shall issue to the voter another copy of the voters’ original voters’ card with the word ?DUPLICATE? clearly marked or printed on it, showing the date of issue.

On no account should a voter who is already issued with a voters card apply for another voters card as an act of having more than one voters card in your possession is a crime as provided in s.16(3) punishable with prison sentence.

Permanent voter cards don’t expire.