Governorship Election: Court Orders INEC To Allow Use Of Temporary Voters Cards

The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) to allow the use of Temporary Voter Cards (TVC) in the March 18 gubernatorial election.

The presiding judge, Justice Obiora Egwuatu gave 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 the judge, the order was given under the premise that the plaintiffs were duly registered and captured in INEC’s database prior to the commencement of the general election.

The court, however, noted that it would be 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.

The judge said, “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.