With the challenges faced by many Nigerians over the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the 2023 general elections, a journalist, Adewole Kehinde has taken legal action against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), demanding N500 million as damages for his missing card.
He said: “Since INEC wants to deny me my fundamental right to vote, I don’t have a choice but to sue them for N500 million even though my single vote is far above the N500 million.
Kehinde, who works with Swift Reporters, an online news platform, filed a suit against INEC over the denial of access to his PVC.
Sunday PUNCH reports that printouts and text messages exchanged with the commission’s official show that Kehinde had earlier transferred his voter registration from Area 11 to the Nyanya area of Abuja.
Kehinde also stated that his reason for applying for a transfer followed his relocation to his new residence.
However, despite several visits to the INEC’s office, the journalist said he was informed that his card could not be found.
He said: “I transferred my Permanent Voter Card in July 2022 from Area 11 by Area 3 junction to my new residence in Nyanya.
“I checked online to confirm that my card was successfully transferred to Nyanya as can be seen on the INEC website. On getting to INEC office in Karu under AMAC (Abuja Municipal Area Council), my slip was collected and after waiting for three hours, I was told my card cannot be found. I filled out a form and was told to come back in two weeks”.
Kehinde added that for two weeks, he received the message, “not seen”.
He said: “Today, Saturday, 4 February 2023 makes it the seventh time I have visited INEC offices to get my PVC but NOT SEEN is what they keep writing on my slip.
“I called the attention of Festus Okoye of INEC to it and he promised to check and get back to me and up till this moment, I have not heard from him”.
In his suit, the journalist is praying the court to award him N500 million as damages as INEC has denied him his fundamental right to vote in the forthcoming 2023 general election.
He said: “Since INEC wants to deny me my fundamental right to vote, I don’t have a choice but to sue them for N500 million even though my single vote is far above the N500 million.
“There are thousands of Nigerians that have come to me to indicate interest in joining in the suit against INEC, and hopefully by Monday, 7 February, my lawyer will serve INEC.
“It is either INEC will print my PVC before 25 February 2023 or the court will stop the election until my PVC is printed and handed over to me.
“INEC cannot just deny my vote and I can’t vote with the old PVC since it has been transferred to Nyanya”.
