Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has directed the 44 local government chairmen to ensure the distribution of all uncollected PVCs ahead of 2027.

The directive was issued as part of renewed efforts to boost voter participation and reduce voter apathy across the state. The governor said every eligible voter who registered must be able to collect and use his or her Permanent Voter Card in the next general elections.

The governor gave the order amid concerns over the large number of uncollected PVCs in Kano. The Independent National Electoral Commission had earlier disclosed that more than 360,000 PVCs remained uncollected in the state.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Kano, Ambassador Abdu Zango, described the situation as worrisome, especially with preparations for the 2027 general polls already underway. He said the pile of unclaimed cards could threaten voter turnout and undermine democratic participation if not urgently addressed.

Under the new directive, the 44 local government chairmen are expected to work with INEC officials, traditional leaders, religious leaders, youth groups and civil society organisations in their areas to ensure that residents collect their cards.

The chairmen are to monitor polling units, support community level sensitisation and liaise with INEC to ensure that cards are available for collection. The governor said the exercise must reach every ward and community in the state.

Governor Yusuf had earlier inaugurated a 36 member Committee on Voter Registration and Civic Awareness to drive voter education and awareness across Kano. The committee is chaired by the Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Comrade Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya.

The governor had charged the committee to ensure that Kano people collect their voter cards and to work with all stakeholders, including opposition parties, civil society groups and traditional institutions, to encourage people to collect their PVCs and prepare for future elections.

INEC has also recorded increased turnout of voters collecting their PVCs across the 44 local government areas of the state. The commission said both newly issued PVCs and previously uncollected cards were being collected by eligible voters. The Public Relations Officer of INEC in Kano, Nahila Bello Dandago, said the commission had deployed 171,000 PVCs in the first batch for distribution to INEC offices across the state 44 local government areas. She urged voters who are yet to collect their cards to visit designated INEC offices to do so.

The state government says the sensitisation campaign will use radio, community meetings, religious gatherings and social media to reach as many people as possible. The committee is also expected to appeal to INEC to consider creating more polling units in densely populated areas of the state to make the process easier and more accessible for voters. Officials say the goal is to ensure that no eligible voter is disenfranchised because of failure to collect a PVC.

For Kano, which has one of the largest voting populations in Nigeria, the distribution of uncollected PVCs could have a significant impact on turnout in 2027. The governor maintains that voter registration is no longer just a civic responsibility but a compulsory responsibility which must be obtained. With the chairmen now charged to deliver results in their local governments, attention will turn to how quickly the uncollected cards are cleared and how many new voters are added before the polls.