INEC reacts as Court orders use of Temporary Voter’s Card in Guber election

INEC reacts as Court orders use of Temporary Voter’s Card in Guber election

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that the recent order of a federal high court on the use of Temporary Voter Cards (TVCs) contravened the provisions of the 2022 Electoral Acts.

The Federal High Court had ordered the commission to allow registered voters with Temporary Voter Cards to participate in the March 18 governorship and state assemblies elections.

Justice Obiora Egwuatu made the order while delivering judgment in a suit filed by two aggrieved Nigerians seeking the use of TVCs in the general elections in the absence of Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs.

Justice Egwuatu said that the order was made on the grounds that the plaintiffs were duly registered and captured in INEC’s database.

“An order is made compelling the defendant (INEC) to allow the plaintiffs to vote using their Temporary Voter Cards issued by the defendant, the plaintiffs having been duly captured in the National Register of Voter’s database.

“A declaration is made by this court that the plaintiffs, having fulfilled all necessary legal requirements to register and having consequently been captured in the defendant’s (INEC) central database and manual, printed paper-based record or hard copy format of the defendant’s maintained Register of Voters, the plaintiffs are entitled to vote using their Temporary Voter Cards in the forthcoming 2023 General Election,” the judge said.

But the commission, in a statement on Thursday, said the court verdict contradicted the Electoral Act, which it said, provides that only voters with Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) should be allowed to vote in the elections.

The commission further said it has not received the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgement of the high court.