- Samson Itodo declared that with BVAS, using Permanent Voters Cards (PVC) in Nigerian elections is now unnecessary
- He argued that voters should vote with any identification if their names are on the voter register
Samson Itodo, the Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, has declared that the introduction of the Bi-Modal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) makes the use of Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) in Nigerian elections unnecessary.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Itodo suggested that electoral laws need updating to reflect the new technology. He highlighted that many of the 269,000 newly registered voters might not receive their PVCs in time for the upcoming Edo and Ondo governorship elections.
Itodo argued that voters should be allowed to vote if they have any form of identification—such as a national identity card, driver’s license, or passport—and if their names are on the voter register.
“In the 2023 elections, some people registered but couldn’t collect their PVCs before the elections, thus were unable to vote. This is an infringement on their rights,” Itodo explained.
He criticized the current process, stating that logistical issues from the electoral commission often prevent people from voting. “We have been advocating that we don’t need PVCs anymore for elections. I don’t understand why we are using PVCs when we have BVAS that functions optimally for voter accreditation,” he said.