Elections: INEC Quenches Fear of Card Reader Failure

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Ebonyi, on Tuesday, assured the electorate in the state that the card reader would not fail in the forthcoming elections.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Dr Lawrence Azubuike, gave the assurance in Abakaliki at INEC’s final stakeholders’ forum.

”I want to assure all prospective voters in Ebonyi that no person with Permanent Voter Card (PVC) will be denied the opportunity to vote.

”Once the PVC is verified and certified correct, even if the authentication of the voter’s fingerprint does not go through, the voter will still go ahead to vote,” he said.

Azubuike said that the hitches experienced during the field test of the card reader had been sorted out by the commission.

”I am sure every person understands that the commission is to use the card readers simply as a means of improving on the credibility of the polls,” he said.

He disclosed that adequate security would be put in place during the elections, saying that the leadership of security agencies in the state had met to fine tune arrangements for maintaining peace and order during the polls.

”I call on all the candidates and parties to continue to tread the peaceful path till the end,” he appealed.

The REC displayed the customised ballot boxes which were set in different colours, and announced that ballot box for the presidential election would have a red top while senatorial polls would have a black to box, and House of Representatives, green top.

He said that physically challenged persons were allowed to be aided to cast their ballots.

”It is pertinent to state that the result of the election in each polling unit will be announced right there at the end of the exercise,” he stated.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr DIkko Maigari, sued for peace among the political parties and their supporters.

Maigari, who is the Chairman, Security Consultative Forum for the elections in the state, advised the voters to come to the polling units only with their voter cards.

”All the security agencies will be on a 24-hour patrol on election day while security agencies posted to the polling units will operate without arms,” he said. (NAN)