Reps summon Jega over Osun voter cards

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The House of Representatives on Wednesday gave the Independent National Electoral Commission 48 hours to give a progress report on the distribution of the Permanent Voter Card in Osun State and other states of the Federation.

The House laid emphasis on the case of Osun State, the next state on the line for governorship election.

In passing a resolution on the issue in Abuja, it summoned the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, to appear before the House Committee on Electoral Matters within 48 hours to give the progress report.

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The resolution came following a motion on urgent national importance moved by an All Progressives Congress lawmaker from Lagos State, Mr. Yakub Balogun.

Balogun, who represents Lagos-Island Federal Constituency II, said a status report on the distribution of the card was important to guard against the possibility of disenfranchising eligible voters.

He recalled that INEC itself had already warned that voters who were unable to replace their temporary cards with the permanent ones, would not participate in future elections.

His motion was unanimously endorsed by members at the session, which was presided over by the Speaker, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, without further debate.

Part of Balogun’s motion read, 

“The House is further aware that INEC has directed that all holders of Temporary Voter Card will not be allowed to vote in subsequent elections in Nigeria and also directed that all eligible voters must compulsorily replace their Temporary Voter Card with the new Permanent Voter Card.

“The House is worried that available reports indicate that INEC has not been able to effectively replace all the TVCs with the permanent ones in all the states of the federation.

“The House is further worried that the haphazard distribution of PVCs may lead to disenfranchisement of eligible voters, which violate the spirit and letters of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).

“We are concerned that it was alleged that eligible voters who had approached INEC for the replacement of their cards were turned back on the account that their individual PVCs were not ready.”