use of card readers for the March 28 and April 11 elections following
a test run which the commission described as successful.
"The National Commissioners have decided to stick with the card reader
following the huge success the machine recorded during the field test
in some 12 states across the country last Saturday," a source at the
commission, who pleaded anonymity, told Vanguard.
Endorsement of the card reader was given at a meeting of the 12
national commissioners of the commission at INEC headquarters in
Abuja. The meeting was presided over by INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru
Jega.
Yesterday's meeting came ahead of further preparatory meetings with
the 37 Resident Electoral Commissioners, RECs, who are in charge of
the 36 states of the federation and Abuja.
The use of the card reader had divided the political class with the
two major political parties taking divergent positions on the device.
INEC claims the cards would stop multiple voting by ensuring that only
possessors of the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) can vote at voting
points where the PVCs are programmed to.
Jega is expected to meet with the RECs tomorrow where complaints
generated during the trial run of the card readers will be discussed.
"There is a huge possibility that the commission will allow voters
whose fingerprints are not read by the device to vote, but such people
will fill the incident form," a source told Vanguard.
The meeting of the RECs is also expected to appraise the distribution
and collection of PVCs. Collection of PVCs have been extended till
March 22.
--Vanguard
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