House Wants INEC To Allow Use Of Temporary Voters Card for Voting In Forthcoming Elections

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, Nigeria 2015 Election Tuesday, January 13th, 2015

Ayodele Afolabi, Abuja – The House of Representatives, Tuesday directed the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), to allow registered voters with the temporary voters card whose names are on record to vote during the 2015 general election.

The Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, gave the order following a motion on urgent National importance moved by Minority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila.

Gbajamila in the motion urged the House to prevail on INEC to allow use of temporary voters card by those who could not get the permanent voters card for the elections.

Gbajabiamila , said that for the purpose of the elections referred to above, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has been and is still issuing permanent voters’ card to eligible voters in replacement of the temporary voters’ cards issued to Nigerians about four years ago.

Specifically, he said that the general elections being just four weeks or 31 days from now, it is very unlikely that the commission will be able to distribute the permanent voters’ cards to all registered and eligible voters before the elections.

He said that if the current position of the commission (that only voters with the permanent voters’ cards are qualified to vote) is not addressed, many registered and eligible voters will be disenfranchised in the 2015 general elections to the detriment of the growth of democracy in Nigeria.

The Minority Leader pray the House to urge the Commission to include in its election guidelines for the 2015 general elections, a provision(s) allowing registered voters with the temporary voters card whose names are on record to vote during the 2015 general election.