The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Ondo State Office, has dismissed allegations that Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) are missing in the state, describing the claim as incorrect and misleading.

The Commission was reacting to a statement credited to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate for Akoko South-East/Akoko South-West Federal Constituency, Adeyeri Stephen, who had called for an investigation into alleged missing PVCs in Iwaro-Oka, Akoko South-West Local Government Area.

INEC explained that only two categories of cards were ready for collection before the commencement of PVC collection and the display of the voters’ register on October 9, 2026. These are cards for registrants who applied for transfer and those who enrolled during the first phase of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise held between August and December 2025.

According to the Commission, cards for registrants in the second and third phases of the CVR exercise are not yet available for collection.

INEC said its records showed that the number of cards in Polling Unit 12, Igbeyinadun Quarters, RA/Ward 07, Oka VA Owalusin/Ayepe in Akoko South-West Local Government Area, corresponded exactly with the number received from its national headquarters in Abuja.

The Commission stressed that every card received was accounted for, adding that the presence of names of registrants from all three CVR phases in the collection register did not mean their cards were missing.

It clarified that cards that have not been produced or delivered cannot be described as missing, and therefore no investigation was required into a situation that does not exist.

INEC urged politicians, political parties, candidates and the general public to verify facts with its Ondo State Office before making public statements capable of creating anxiety or undermining confidence in the electoral process.

The Commission also announced that PVC collection at the ward level ended on Thursday, October 15, 2026. Collection will continue from Friday, October 16, at INEC offices across the 18 local government areas of the state.

All registrants whose cards are ready were encouraged to collect them promptly, as the PVC remains the only means of voting.