Court order on Temporary Voter Cards goes against Electoral Act – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, said it had not received the Certified True Copy, CTC, of the order of a federal high court mandating it to allow registered voters with Temporary Voter Cards, TVCs, to participate in the March 18 governorship and state assemblies elections.

Also, the Commission described the order as contrary to the provisions of the Electoral Act 2033 (as amended), which provides that only voters with Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, should be allowed to vote in the elections.

Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, Abuja had given the order on Thursday while delivering judgment in a suit filed by two Nigerians seeking the use of TVCs in the general elections when Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) are not available.

According to Justice Egwuatu, the order was made on the grounds that the plaintiffs had been duly registered and captured in INEC’s database prior to the commencement of the general election.

The judge, however, said he was unable to grant prayer three which was to allow every eligible voter with a TVC to vote because the suit was not filed in a representative capacity.

“This suit having not been brought in a representative capacity, I find myself unable to grant any relief pursuant to prayer three of the plaintiff’s application.”

According to the court, there was no part of the law, both the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act that stated that only PVCs could be used in an election but that the law under Section 47 provided for voter’s cards.