We Have Not Heard the Court’s Decision – INEC

The decision of a federal high court ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to let registered voters using Temporary Voter Cards (TVCs) to participate in the March 18 Governorship and State Assembly elections has not yet been received, according to INEC. We are awaiting the court’s ruling as INEC responds to the directive to use temporary voter cards.

Information Nigeria had reported that Justice Obiora Eguatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday ruled in a case brought before him by two disgruntled registered voters, Kofoworola Olusegun and Wilson Allwell, that there was no provision of the law, both the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act (as amended), that stated it is only Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) that could be used, and that the law only required a voters card under Section 47.

“A person wanting to vote in an election should present himself with his voter’s card to a Presiding Officer for accreditation at the Polling Unit in the constituency in which his name is recorded,” states Section 47(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended).

Rotimi Oyekanmi, Principal Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, said, “I have not yet seen a Certified True Copy of the Court Order, and as a result, I cannot comment on it.

However, INEC has continuously upheld a policy of “no PVC, no vote” since 2011, relying on its authority to create election rules and oversee the electoral process.

According to a source at the Commission, the verdict violates the requirements of the Electoral Act 2033 (as amended), which mandates that only voters possessing Permanent Voter Cards PVCs should be permitted to cast ballots in elections.

We disagree with the ruling, and I can assure you that when we get the Certified True Copy, we will carefully review it before determining our course of action.