By Adedayo Ogunleye, Abuja

The House of Representatives has directed the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to allow registered voters with temporary voter’s cards, TVC, to vote during the forthcoming elections.

It further directed that the electoral body should include holders of TVCs in the final list of those eligible to vote in the February general election.

The development arose following a motion by the House Minority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, under matters of urgent national importance.

The Minority Leader, who introduced the motion on Tuesday during the plenary session, stated that it concerns every Nigerian and argued that many voters would be disenfranchised unless the House intervened on behalf of Nigerians yet to get their Permanent Voters Card, PVC.

“INEC has been and is still issuing permanent voters’ cards to eligible voters in replacement of the temporary voters’ cards issued to Nigerians about four years ago. The general elections being conducted 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,” Gbajabiamila observed.

The motion was unanimously adopted and an Order Paper was released as follows:

The House:

Notes that the general elections in Nigeria commence on February 14, 2015

Also notes that for the purpose of the elections referred to above, the Independent National Electoral Commission (the commission) has been and is still issuing permanent Voters’ card to eligible voters in replacement of the temporary voters’ cards issued to Nigerians about 4 (four) years ago.

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Concerned that the general elections being just 4 (four) weeks or 31 (thirty one) 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.

Disturbed 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.

Resolves to:

i. That the commission should 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 elections.