In the suit FHC/ABJ/CS/1662/2022 filed on friday at the federal high court, Abuja, the plaintiffs sued INEC for failing to give them and other seven million people adequate time and opportunity to complete their voter registration process so that they can obtain their permanent voter cards to vote in the elections.
The plaintiffs are demanding an order of mandamus to direct and compel INEC to provide adequate facilities and deploy personnel to the registration units of the plaintiffs to enable them to complete their registration and collect their PVCs.
They also want opportunity to be given to those who are interested in transferring their permanent voters’ cards to other locations so that they can vote.
The 24 plaintiffs are Adeeyo Bayo Wasiu; Kunat Tychius Amos; Tagbo Philips Chidubem; Emeghe Uchanma Grace; Ayoola Opeyemi Ebenezer; Adedotun Adegoke Babatunde; Emmanuel Promise Tochukwu; Eche Onah Otakpa; Olatoye Clement Damilola; and Ogunejiofor Raphael Emeka.
Others are Emmanuel Ternajev; Joy Oluwadamilola Ige; Lawerence Ignatius; Agbede Kunle; Eze Daniel Ndubisi; Nkemdilim Agbor Bassey; Omoike Iredia Oseine; Joshua Patrick Ogenekaro; Wisdom Emeka; Ukpe Victor Destiny; Abayomi Opeoluwa; Ndubuisi Anthony Ahanihu; Akande Akintunde O. and Adamma Rhodes.
The lawsuit followed the recent disclosure by INEC that out of 10,487,972 Nigerians who carried out their pre-registration online, only 3,444,378 which is 32.8% of the online registration completed the process at physical centres.
The group said that their inability to complete registration is entirely due to factors outside their control arguing that hindering eligible Nigerians from exercising their rights cannot preserve trust in the electoral process.
“This severe vote deprivation cannot be justified by any perceived considerations of saving time, especially because Section 9(6) of the Electoral Act 2022 provides that the registration of voters, updating and revision of the register of voters shall stop not later than 90 days before any election covered by this Act".
They pointed out that “There were reports of incidences of bribery, unethical conducts of INEC staff, registration process marred by irregularities, insufficient machines, malfunctioning of machines, insufficient staff and unskilled staff, before the defendant ended the Continuous Voters Registration Exercise on 31st July, 2022".
The suit was filed on behalf of the plaintiffs by lawyers to the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), Kolawole Oluwadare and Ms Adelanke Aremo.
At the time of filing this report, the date had not been fixed for the hearing of the suit.
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