Plateau Monarchs, Political Leaders Drag INEC To Court over Permanent Voters Card

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News, Nigeria 2015 Election Tuesday, January 6th, 2015

Agabus Pwanagba, Jos – Barely five weeks to the 2015 general elections, traditional and Political leaders in Plateau State have dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to court over non-issuance of the Permanent Voters Card to the electorates.

The Gbong Gwom Jos, Da Buba Gyang ; Ponzhi Taroh, General Domkat Bali (rtd); Speaker of Plateau State House of Assembly, RT. Hon. Titus Alams and the Attorney General of Plateau State, Barr. Olivia Dazyem have jointly sued the electoral body.

The plaintiffs who also included the seventeen Local Government Areas of the State are asking the court to stop INEC from using the updated register for the 2015 general elections as it will disenfranchise a significant proportion of the electorates in the state.

They are also calling on the court to compel INEC to use the national register of voters of each state of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory it used in the 2011 general elections.

Counsel to the Plaintiff, Sunday Odey wants the court to declare “That the defendant has no power to prevent a registered voter who has not been issued with a permanent voter card from voting at the forth coming general election or any general election.

Also, the Plaintiffs want the court to declare that INEC does not have the power to set rules and regulations restricting people who have not registered 60 days before the election to vote or be voted for. They want the PVC exercise to be declared null and void.

Our Correspondent reports that the court is yet to fix a date to commence hearing on the suit.