The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, said it had not received the Certified True Copy, CTC, of the judgment of a federal high court mandating it to allow registered voters with Temporary Voter’s Cards, TVCs, to participate in the March 18 governorship and state assemblies elections.
“I am yet to see a Certified True Copy of the court order and, as such, I cannot comment on it,” said Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi.
Justice Obiora Eguatu of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja had, on Thursday (today) ruled in a case brought before him by two aggrieved registered voters, Kofoworola Olusegun and Wilson Allwell.
The court held that there was no portion of the law, both the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act (as amended) that states that it is only Permanent Voter’s Cards, PVCs, that could be used, but that the law under Section 47 provided for only a voter’s card.
Section 47(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended) provides that: “A person intending to vote in an election shall 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 registered”.
Since 2011, INEC, relying on its powers to develop guidelines for the elections and manage the electoral process, had consistently maintained a policy of “no PVC, no voting”.
Meanwhile, a source at the commission told Vanguard that the judgment goes contrary to the provisions of the Electoral Act 2033 (as amended), insisting that only voters with Permanent Voter’s Cards, PVCs, should be allowed to vote in the elections.
“It is a judgment that we don’t agree with and I can tell you that when we get the Certified True Copy, CTC, we shall study it meticulously and decide on our next line of action,” said the source.
(Vanguard)
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