The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Thursday, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) to allow the use of Temporary Voter Cards, (TVC) in the March 18 governorship and state houses of assembly 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 the 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.
The judge however, said that 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.
The court held that there was no portion of the law, both the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act that states that it is only PVCs that could be used, but that the law under Section 47 provided for a voter’s card.
Speaking to newsmen, counsel to the plaintiffs, Victor Opatola said that the judgment was a win for all Nigerians who suffered to get registered to vote, were duly registered but due to no fault of theirs could not get their PVCs before the election.
The lawyer also said that it was the law of equity that what applied to the goose should also apply to the gander.
He maintained that this should be so because the content of the TVC was the same as the content of the PVC and the only difference was the plastic used for the PVC.
