2015: Reps summon Jega over voter cards

THE House of Representatives, on Thursday, summoned the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, to appear before it within 72 hours. He is expected to explain why there is irregularity in the distribution of voter cards in the country. This was sequel to a motion moved under matters of national importance by Honourable Yakub Balogun, entitled, ‘Alleged haphazard distribution of permanent voter cards and imminent disenfrachisement of some states of the federation from participating in future elections in the country.’ Honourable Balogun, in his submission, had argued that “part of the responsibilities of INEC is to ensure free, fair, credible and peaceful elections, as well as provision of voter cards to all eligible Nigerians.” According to him, “INEC has succeeded in providing temporary voters’ cards which were used and widely accepted for the conduct of the 2011 general elections in Nigeria. We are aware that INEC has directed that all holders of temporary voter cards will not be allowed to vote in subsequent elections in Nigeria and also directed that all eligible voters must compulsorily replace their temporary voter cards with the new permanent cards.” He lamented that available reports from the states where the distribution was currently going on indicated that INEC had not been able to effectively replace all the temporary cards with permanent ones in those states. He pointed out that the haphazard distribution of permanent cards might lead to disenfranchisement of eligible voters, which violated the spirit and letters of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended). According to him, “it was alleged that in some states, eligible voters who had approached INEC for the replacement of their voter cards were turned back on the account that their individual permanent voter cards were not ready.” When the motion was put into voice vote, it was unanimously supported after most of the lawmakers had similarly expressed dismay over the development. ,saying that the action of the Commission was capable of disenfranchising some states of the federation if not corrected on time