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Tag: card-reader

  • How to get Card Reader to identify your fingerprint, by Tinubu

    How to get Card Reader to identify your fingerprint, by Tinubu

    Former Lagos State Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has advised voters to wash their hands properly before going out to vote on election day to enable the Smart Card Readers identify their fingerprints.

    Asiwaju Tinubu, who spoke at the 14th edition of Senator Oluremi Tinubu’s town hall meeting with constituents of Lagos Central Senatorial District in Lagos yesterday, said: “This is a vote of clean hands; you must wash your hands before you go for the election, so that the machine can be able to identify your fingerprints. As we did during the period of the Ebola scare, wash your hands very well.”

    He berated the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for rejecting the use of Smart Card Readers for the rescheduled general elections.

    The APC National Leader said the party was afraid because it knew the verdict of the people would be against it at the polls.

    He said resources had been invested in developing the system and in training people for the use of the technology, “but the ruling party wants to scatter everything because it is running away from defeat.”

    Tinubu said the economy is in a mess, after 16 years of PDP leadership of the country.

    He urged the electorate to vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates, saying the naira, which exchanged for less than N100 to a dollar in 1999, is now over N230 to a dollar and young graduates have no jobs.

    Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who spoke on the theme: “Treading the Path to Prosperity”, reviewed the journey that began in 2011 when she was elected into the Senate to represent the Lagos Central District, saying the series of town hall meetings have afforded her the opportunity of getting positive feedbacks and consistent support from her constituents.

    Mrs. Tinubu said the last 16 years of PDP rule reduced the nation to a state of anarchy and that Nigerians were inundated with reports of horrendous killings and kidnappings.

    “There is a progressive failure in Nigeria under the watch of the ruling PDP. In the failed state index of 2013, conducted by the Fund for Peace, Nigeria was ranked as the 16th failed state of the 177 countries surveyed. The survey listed Nigeria after countries as Somalia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Iraq.

    “The indicators that were used in the ranking include: massive movement of refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), vengeance-seeking group, grievance, chronic and sustained human flight, uneven economic development, progressive deterioration of public services, violation of human rights and rule of law, security apparatus and intervention of external actors,” she said.

    Senator Tinubu said it was the collective desire of Nigerians for change that led to the formation of the APC.

    The APC, she said, was aware of the need for change and for creativity in governance, if the country must reverse the tide and restore its economic fortunes.

    “This is the opportunity we have. We must continue to fight until our people are liberated. Our people have the right to live in an atmosphere or in a country where everybody can have access to education, access to power (electricity), access to good health and access to infrastructural development. Until we have all that, we don’t have a country,” she noted.

  • Fresh suit on card reader filed

    Fresh suit on card reader filed

    The battle to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from using the electronic card readers during the general elections has shifted to the Federal High Court in Lagos.

    A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief, Waliu Taiwo, in suit numbered FHC/C/CS/296/15, is seeking an order restraining the commission from using the card readers during the polls.

    The plaintiff, who is PDP’s candidate for the Ogun West Senatorial District, claimed that INEC’s guidelines, which stipulate the use of card readers is unconstitutional and should be nullified.

    He faulted Section 12 (c) of the guidelines, which states that “in the event that the PVC fails to be read by the Card Reader, the APO (assistant presiding officer)…shall file a report of the incident; inform the voter of the problem and that he/she cannot be accredited; and politely request the voter to leave the polling zone.”

    The plaintiff said this is “the first time anywhere in the world where a device such as the Card Reader as proposed to be used by INEC would be used to the effect that it supercedes the content of the register of voters properly compiled by the electoral body.”

    He joined the Attorney-General of the Federation Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN) as the second defendant.

    In a motion on notice filed through his lawyer, Mr Ajibola Oluyede, the plaintiff is seeking an order of interlocutory injunction restraining INEC or its agents from going on with its proposed plan to use the card readers for the purpose of determining those who can vote.

    He also wants an order directing the commission to comply with the Electoral Act 2010 and the 1999 Constitution by relying only on the voters’ register and identifying voters with their voter cards.

    Taiwo also wants the court to nullify Sections 7 (a/b), 8, 10, 12 and 13 of the INEC guidelines, which stipulate the use of card readers to determine those eligible to vote.

    The plaintiff wants the orders, when made, to subsist pending the hearing and determination of his originating summons.

    Among the prayers in the originating summons is “a declaration that (in the light of a community reading of Sections 77 (2), 117 (2), 132 (5) and 178 (5) of the 1999 Constitution, along with Sections 9 (1), 46 (1)(b), 49, 52 (2) of the Electoral Act, 2011), the INEC guidelines, which stipulate the use of electronic card readers for the purpose of determining the entitlement of persons (with voter’s cards whose names are on the register of voters) to exercise their right to vote in the 2015 general elections, are unconstitutional, ultra vires, null, void and a recipe for creating confusion and political instability during or in the aftermath of the general elections.”

    In a supporting affidavit, the plaintiff said he believes that for an electronic equipment that has not been tried in “less important elections”, it was a big risk to try it during the general elections as it could “cause disintegration of the country if badly handled…”

    The PDP chief said INEC’s recent mock verification exercise “failed in more than 40 per cent of the areas captured for the exercise.”

    “The result of the exercise as reported by many observers showed that the machines are fraught with many challenges and errors ranging from short lifespan of the batteries and inability of the reader to recognise fingerprints of many registered voters even when the machine manages to confirm the voter’s card to be genuine.

    “I know that most parts of Nigeria are hinterland with very difficult terrain such that it will be impracticable to find any solution to faulty card readers on election day to enable eligible voters, who reside in such places exercise their franchise,” the plaintiff said.

    According to him, disenfranchising eligible voters could result in post-election violence as many would see it as a deliberate ploy to prevent them from voting.

    “I know that the powers entrusted on INEC to make regulations and guidelines for the conduct of elections are not without limitations and are made subject to the Constitution and the enabling law, which is the Electoral Act.

    “I know that the provision of the Electoral Law, which prohibits the use of electronic voting machine, is still extant.

    “I verily believe that if INEC is not restrained from using the card reader machines to authenticate the voter’s card of persons, who have been validly registered and have their names in the register of voters, many eligible Nigerians will be denied the right to exercise their franchise in the forthcoming general elections,” Taiwo said.

    The suit was yet to be assigned to a judge as at the time of filing this report.

  • PDP not afraid of card reader, says Sambo

    PDP not afraid of card reader, says Sambo

    Vice President Namadi Sambo has denied that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was not comfortable with the use of card reader for the rescheduled general elections

    The party, he said, was not afraid of any arrangement put in place by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for free, fair and credible elections.

    But, Sambo, who spoke to reporters at the residence of Minister of Education Malam Ibrahim Shekarau in Kano after four days of consultation for PDP in the state, said the PDP was only saying that “we don’t want anything to go wrong through the use of card reader”.

    He advised Nigerians to take cognisance of what the Electoral Act says about electronic voting as well as the problems reported about the device during the mock election in Ebonyi State and others.

    His words: “One thing I will like to tell you is that PDP is not afraid of anything; not even card reader. We are not afraid of anything. PDP is a party of Nigeria, PDP is Nigeria. You go to every local government, every ward and every polling unit, PDP has a system – it has a chairman and a secretary; at least 12 members of the executive.

    “So, we are everywhere and there is no party that is like the PDP. PDP has remained as PDP since 1998 till date. We have never changed our colour or our name. We are the party for Nigeria and we are Nigerians. So, please, don’t even go to that area of fear.

    “PDP, definitely, is going to win the election and let me tell you one thing; the issue of free and fair election has been the promotion of the Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan administration, because in 2011, he made it very clear that we must have a credible, free and fair election in Nigeria. We must have one man, one vote; one woman, one vote; and one youth, one vote.”

    Sambo added that it was the first time in the history of elections that Nigerians came out and said they must make sure that they get their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

    He said: “The issue here and all that the PDP is saying is that let us still be fair and sure that there is nothing wrong with the issue of the card reader.

    “Then, we as a party also believe in the Rule of Law; and that is why we signed the Freedom of Information Act. So, even to address the issue of corruption, you must start from having a free and fair credible election.

    “If you don’t do it, you have not started addressing corruption, because if you use corruptive avenue and select your leaders – what does that mean?

    “So, we want free, fair election and we don’t want anything to go wrong through the use of card reader. In one of the states (Ebonyi), the Resident Electoral Commissioner there said he was going to repeat the mock election because of the problem of card reader.

    “You see, in so many other states, there have been problems with the card reader to the extent that INEC themselves have introduced a form they call incident form. To be very honest, who among you have read the Electoral Act? What did it say on electronic voting?  Go and read it and find out yourself. So, please, we are not afraid. We only want a free and fair election.”

    The vice president, who took time to list the achievements of President Jonathan’s administration in the last four years, challenged the opposition to deflate the achievements recorded in education, agriculture, transportation, economy, power, corruption, insecurity and employment.

    According to him, in the area of insecurity, Boko Haram remain a national issue and a new challenge to Nigeria, which should not be politicised, just as he called on the opposition leaders to join forces with the Federal Government to tackle the issue of terrorism.

    “Boko Haram has no difference with ISIS in Iraq; no difference with the Taliban and the Al-Qaeda. The issue of terrorism started even before this administration. The issue of terrorism is a new challenge to Nigeria and it came when we were unprepared.

    “We have been able to train our security agencies; procure armaments for our military and today, we are succeeding as our troops have succeeded in recapturing most of the towns and villages captured by the insurgents,” he said.

    Sambo appealed to the opposition to desist from making utterances suggesting that the Federal Government was sponsoring Boko Haram, describing such insinuation as unpatriotic, asking whether “it is the Federal Government that is sponsoring Boko Haram in Niger Republic, Chad and Cameroon”.

  • INEC’s Card Reader passes litmus test

    INEC’s Card Reader passes litmus test

     The Smart Card Readers (SCRs)were used by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the weekend for biometric  verifications of potential voters and a mock poll. It was without any major hitch. Stakeholders and observers say it has come to stay as an antidote to rigging. RAYMOND MORDI, LEKE SALAUDEEN and MUSA ODOSHIMOKHE take a look at the results from the states and the way forward as enumerated by experts.  

    After the field testing of Smart Card Readers (SCRs) by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the weekend, the verdict was that it was largely successful. Going by reports from the 12 states where it was tested, the machines performed excellently. According to INEC, there are two steps to be followed in the usage of the SCRs. One is authentication; to ascertain that the card was issued by INEC. The implication is that if anybody brings a fake Permanent Voter Card (PVC), the machine will not authenticate or recognise it as INEC’s card. So, the issue of fake cards or clowned PVCs will not arise.

     

    Impressive turnout in Lagos

     

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Lagos, Mr. Akin Orebiyi said: “The next step, after the authentication, is the verification stage, where the bearer of the card will be asked to put his thumb on a particular point on the SCR, to verify whether he or she is the rightful owner of the card. The implication of this is that no person can use another person’s PVC. Impliedly, nobody can be accredited and possibly vote in more than one polling centre.”

    The reports were the same from the 12 states chosen across the six geo-political zones by the electoral umpire to test run biometric confirmation of potential voters.

    The states are; Lagos, Ekiti, Rivers, Delta, Ebonyi, Anambra, Taraba, Kano, Kebbi, Nasarawa, Niger and Bauchi.

    Orebiyi said the mock poll was successful. According to him, there were hitches with few of the machines because the PVCs’ owners’ fingers were wet. The Lagos REC, in a telephone interview, told The Nation  that the aim of the test-run was to demonstrate the effectiveness of the SCRs to the public; to demonstrate that PVCs can only be used at the designated polling units. He said that many intending voters, who were not registered in Onigbongbo Ward where the mock poll took place, were rejected by the machines.

    Orebiyi said the exercise has proved the efficacy of the new device.

    His words: “There was nowhere the battery failed during the exercise. In few instances, where the cards could not be identified by the machines, we used the back-up register to identify the card owner. Those in this category were about five per cent.  May be their hands were wet but with the back-up register, we were able to identify them.

    “The test-run has given us the opportunity to demonstrate the process for accreditation on election days. We will continue to educate the voters as we have planned to hold town hall meetings in all the 774 local government areas in the state, Orebiyi said.

    INEC hailed in Niger

    In Niger State, 58 per cent of those who took part were cleared as authentic. The machine rejected the remaining 42 per cent voters.

    The National Commissioner for the electoral body, Dr. Chris Iyimoga, said the figures were from the 18 polling units in the ward, which initially had a total of 10,243 persons with PVCs and Temporary Voter Cards (TVCs). Only 1,799 eligible voters, he added, turned up for the exercise out of which 1,045 were authenticated by the SCRs.

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state commended INEC for the mock poll, saying the machine was free from abuse. Its Publicity Secretary, Jonathan Vatsa, who observed the exercise, said INEC did a fantastic job, adding that it would knock out the issue of multiple voting.

    “The APC is in support of the card reader. This shows that we are moving away from the old age to the new age and that we are moving forward as a nation,” he said.

     

    Minor hitches in Kano

    The turnout was impressive in Kano State where stakeholders and described the process as hugely successful.

    According to the REC in the state, Alhaji Minkaila Abdullahi, the only challenge facing the Commission is the minor problem of the SCRs not capturing some of the finger prints. This, he said, could be attributed to the texture of individual skin. “So, the machine is reliable for the elections,” Abdullahi said.

    “The commission is mindful of the fact that there is need for assessment and that is why the accreditation is now made to take place from 8a.m. to 1 p.m. The outcome of this exercise will determine the acceptability of the card reader machine for the election.”

     

    Era of poll’s fraud over in Bauchi

    The verdict in Bauchi, in the view of the REC, Prof. Hamman Saad, after the exercise, was that the era of electoral malpractices was over and that card readers have come to stay. Prof. Saad dismissed ongoing campaigns by some groups and politicians for the rejection of SCRs for the forthcoming general elections.

    He maintained that “nothing will further strengthen and deepen democracy in Nigeria better than the use of the card readers.”

     

    No major problem in Delta

    The mock verification in Delta State was also largely successful despite minor hitches and poor turnout. The SCRs performed without any major problem at the Niger Mixed Secondary School and Asagba Primary Schools in Asaba, the state capital. Delta State Independent Election Commission (DSIEC) chief, Moses Ogbe, urged Nigerians to give card readers a chance. He stated that the error margins of the device were negligible.

    According to him, the electoral body may provide basic facilities at polling units to accommodate those whose fingerprints were dirty and could not be verified by the card readers.

     

    Finger prints rejection in Anambra blamed on dirty fingers 

    In Anambra State, the REC, Mr. Edwin Offor Nwatarali, explained that many of the rejected finger prints were attributed to greasy or dirty fingers. He said the commission, however, overcame the problem by making the voters wash their hands and cleaning them properly before coming to thumb print.

    “The readers were in good shape and would work smoothly. We believe that on the whole, the card will help us to have credible election,” Nwatarali said.

    The minor hitches ranged from the inability of the SCRs to identify some fingers and thumb prints and the slow pace of the process. In Niger State for instance, the major grouse was on the time spent on the accreditation of each voter. Many of the participants that took part in the mock polls described the process as “too slow.”

     

    Smooth verifications in Kaduna, Kwara and FCT

    INEC National Commissioner supervising Kaduna, Kwara, Niger and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Dr. Chris Iyimoga, told reporters that the mock verification was smooth except for few hitches with some SCRs which could be due to finger identification.

    He said: “In some instances, people cleaned their hands with methylated spirit which has to do with the level of cleanliness of fingers, because, as soon as the fingers are cleaned, you will be through.”

    He disclosed that the over 70 per cent of eligible voters in Gwada ward, who initially failed the verification test were identified as eligible voters since the data in the PVC corresponded with theirs and since the machine also identified them as the genuine owners of the PVCs they presented.

    In all, with the success recorded during the mock verification, it appears that the PVCs and SCRs have come to stay.

    A prospective voter who participated in mock verification in Lagos, Mr. Olakunle Aremu, hailed the introduction of card readers.

    He said: “Initially, I was skeptical about the performance of the machines. But, with what I have seen, I am convinced it will work. It took 20 seconds while in some other it took only five seconds to accredit a voter. If the machine can accredit up to three voters in a minute, it will hasten up the accreditation process on the day of election.

    “Beside the time reduction in accreditation, the card reader will not allow multiple voting or the use of fake card on the day of election. That will give us a credible poll. Whoever loses will accept his failure in good fate.”

    Former Minister of Information, Prince Tony Momoh, also joined the ranks of Nigerians who commended INEC for the success of the mock test of the card reader ahead of the general elections. Momoh said anything that would help to grow the democratic process must be embraced, noting that the success of the card readers test across the country should be applauded.

    He said: “If card readers will help to enhance the democratic process, we should accept it. If that will make us to avoid multiple registrations, we should give the benefit of doubt.

    “I am very happy about the result of the tested card readers across the country. It will make the election transparent. The card readers will identify the authentic owner of the PVCs. So, I am very happy about the news emanating across the country.”

    He said skeptics should embrace the card readers in the spirit of free and fair elections.

     

    There is room for improvement

    “At least, the card readers have been tested; wherever any problem comes up, the INEC has put in place means to resolving it. INEC has made provision for the card readers; it should be allowed to work rather than condemning its use. It should be used rather than throwing away the baby with the bath water. Those who say we should use card readers have valued the reason for it.”

    Also defending the use of the device, Lagos lawyer Festus Keyamo said the SCRs wil prevent rigging and polls’ manipulation. He urged those opposes to it to retrace their steps and work harder to secure the votes of the electorate in through the right channel instead of nursing dubious ambition of rigging the elections.

    He said: “The fear of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and their allied is hinged on the old ways; they want to go back to their old ways of writing and falsifying results. That is why they are afraid of the use of card readers.

    His words: “Nigerians will not take that this time around. If anything is done to postpone or truncate the election, we are going to have a mass protest across the country and nobody will stop us.

    “Also the plan to remove Prof. Attahiru Jega should be buried.  If they do that, there will be a mass protest. Nobody should blackmail us that we protest as a result of injustice. You cannot beat a child and not expect the child to cry.

    “If they do that, I am ready to go to jail, just like we went to jail during the Gen Sani Abacha time. INEC must not cave in to PDP pressure; INEC must maintain its sanctity and independence. Whichever way the results go, Nigerians should be ready to accept it. The ruling party must be ready to accept defeat; the opposition must also be ready to accept defeat.”

    Erstwhile Governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, said Nigerians will not take excuses, noting that INEC must conduct the March 28 election.

    He said: “If the card readers are not working, INEC can do without it. This election must not be postponed again. Any talk about card readers should not be used to postpone these elections. There are speculations that the rescheduled days might be tampered with again but we are saying that we are not ready for any excuse for the postponement of the election.

    “There is no reason for INEC not to be ready for the elections. Three weeks is enough time for INEC to address whatever problem that is being noticed. So, INEC must conduct the elections,” he said.

  • INEC card reader test hitch free in Lagos

    The pre-election test of the use of the card reader was hitch free in Lagos on Saturday.
    The process kicked off at 8am in 50 polling units across Onigbongbo in Ikeja.
    Four INEC officials attended to the voters who came to verify their PVCs and test a process that has been faulted by some political parties.
    To the relief of the ‘voters’ and the audience at each venues, the machine proved effective, authenticating the PVCs within a minute.
    A mild drama also ensued during the exercise as some people turned out at the various polling units to press for their PVCs and get clarification on how to get their cards.
    The Independent National Electoral Commissioner in the state, Mr Akin Orebiyi, expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the exercise.
    According to him, “The intention of today’s exercise is primarily to test the efficiency of the Smart Card Readers. That is why we are here. And we have achieved good results. This shows that the card readers are efficient.
    ” So, politicians who have doubts about the device can now see that the device will contribute in making the elections credible.’’

  • Card reader: Voters complain of delay in Niger

    Eligible voters in Niger State on Saturday complained of the delay encountered with the card reader machine and expressed fears that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) may not meet up with the time allocated for accreditation of voters during election.

    This was the view of some voters during the card reader testing held in Gwada, Shiroro Local Government area of Niger state.

    Despite the large turn out, most of voters could not participate in the exercise for having their permanent voters card (PVC).

    All Progressives Congress (APC)‎ in the state commended the electoral body for usage of the reader card, stressing the mechanism may be free from abuse.

    The party’s Public Secretary, Jonathan Vatsa who observed the mock voting said INEC did a fantastic job adding that it would knock out the issue of multiple voting.

    “The card reader is very innovative, we commend the Chairman of INEC, he has done a fantastic job. The card reader is very innovative, it will knock out the issue of multiple voting.

    “APC is in support of the card reader, it shows that we are moving away from the old age to the new age and that we are moving forward as a nation.”

    Also reacting, the Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon. Umar Musa Ma’ali commended the testing of the card reader and said the PDP is satisfied with the card reader but was skeptical on the time frame of the accreditation.

    “It takes more time to accredit one voter. The time allocated will not meet up with the accreditation of the voters. PDP‎ is satisfied with the card reader, we only have questions on the time frame. The time allocated is five hours and it takes one minute to accredit a voter, if there are 1000 voters in polling unit, it means it would take up to 14 hours to accredit them. Something needs to be done about this.”

  • Large turn out for card reader test in Ekiti, Kano

    Large turn out for card reader test in Ekiti, Kano

    The field test of the card reader machines by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Saturday recorded large turnout of eligible voters in Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano State.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that eligible voters turned out en masse to participate in the exercise.

    Some of the polling units that witnessed large turnout of voters included Batakaye, Bubbugaje, Sheka Makaranta and Sheka Maidille, among others.

    NAN reports that in most of the polling units visited, men out numbered women.
    Some of the voters who spoke to NAN expressed happiness with the arrangements put on ground for the exercise.

    Malam Salisu Ali told NAN that the field test had proved wrong some Nigerians who were pessimistic about the conduct of the forthcoming general elections.

    ‘’With this field test, one is confident that INEC is serious about the elections,’’ he said.

    Another voter, who simply gave his name as Usman, called on INEC to address the challenges encountered during the field test before the election proper.

    NAN correspondents who monitored the exercise in Ekiti report that it takes a voter less than a minute to be verified.

    The field test of the effectiveness of the card reader machine was also hitch-free.

    Amb. Thomas Oloruntobi, Oyo State Resident Electoral Commissioner, who also monitored the exercise, said the effectiveness of the machine had put all speculations to rest.

    “Now that the machine has been tested, this will put to rest the mind of those who are doubting the effectiveness of the card reader.

    “As you can see the field demonstration of the exercise has actually proven that the machine can perform creditably without any hitch.’’

    A voter at Unit 002, Ward 9, Dalimmore Area of Ado-Ekiti, Mr Oluwafemi Adebobola, after the authentication of his PVC, said the process was fast.

    “ I spent less than one minute to have my permanent voter card verified,’’ he said.

    NAN reports that the exercise took place in 12 states that cut across the six geo-political zones.

  • Senator backs card reader

    The lawmaker representing Jigawa Central, Senator Abdulmumini Hassann Zareko, has supported the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for planning to use card readers.

    He was addressing reporters at the Jigawa State Police Command headquarters after signing a peace accord.

    Zareko said using card readers would ensure credible  elections.

    He said any effort that would facilitate the conduct of free and fair elections should be supported.

    According to him, “INEC has just confirmed to us that 96 per cent of the registered voters have obtained their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs),” adding that the commission is ready to use them in conducting the elections.

    The lawmaker said: “ INEC has confirmed that over 80 per cent of the eligible voters have received their PVCs. The commission is still working  to ensure 100 per cent distribution. There is no reason anybody should oppose the use of card readers.”

    He hailed the efforts of the Inspector General of Police  in initiating the peace accord, “which is aimed at asking  candidates to sign an undertaking to ensure a peaceful conduct of the elections.

    The Senator therefore urged the people in the state particularly the members of his party People Democratic Party (PDP) to respect law and avoid any political violence before during and after the election period.

     

  • Court refuses to stop Card Reader

    Court refuses to stop Card Reader

    THOSE pushing for a new Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) helmsman may have lost the battle to cause disaffection within the agency, The Nation learnt yesterday.

    There have been calls for Prof. Attahiru Jega’s removal. Prominent among such callers are Ijaw leader Edwin Clark, former presidential adviser Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife and National Conference Planning Committee Chairman Dr. Femi Okurounmu.

    But, an attempt to enlist some National Commissioners into the Jega-must-go plot has collapsed, with the officials resisting  pressure to have him replaced.

    The “enraged” commissioners vowed to swim and sink with Jega instead of rocking the boat, a source said.

    Two of them have openly threatened to take legal action against the media associating them with moves to replace  Jega.

    Most of the National Commissioners  yesterday resolved to stand by Jega because, according to them,  the INEC boss has been a team player. They reportedly met with Jega to pledge their solidarity with him.

    Jega’s tenure is to end in June, but there are moves to force him to go on a terminal leave – a plot lawyers have dismissed as illegal because the INEC chairman’s tenure is not covered by civil service rules.

    The commissioners, said another source, also expressed their determination to thwart efforts to frustrate the conduct of the March 28 presidential election by causing disaffection within INEC.

    The commissioners specifically said they are opposed to any move to tamper with the leadership of INEC at a ‘critical period’.

    A source said: “None of the INEC National Commissioners is ready to replace Jega. These commissioners have resisted pressure to either move against Jega or replace him. Most of them were yesterday furious over reports linking them to succession intrigues in the commission.

    “Two of the commissioners opted for legal action to demonstrate their disinterestedness in the leadership of INEC.”

    One of them was quoted as saying: “I prefer to leave INEC with my shoulders high instead of being used against Jega.”

    A National Commissioner said: “Well, all I can say is that we have been doing a lot of teamwork here and Jega has been extremely transparent.

    “We are actually working round the clock for the conduct of the poll; we are not distracted in any way.

    “None of us will do anything differently from what Jega has done because we have been part of the team work. I can tell you that most of us are uninterested in replacing Jega. Some of us have met Jega to tell him our position to back him till the end.”

    The Chief Press Secretary to INEC chairman, Mr. Kayode Robert Idowu, said: “The commission considers the rumour about people seeking to replace the INEC chairman as distracting.

    “The commission is one, the decisions are collectively taken and there is no division whatsoever.”

    INEC yesterday named the 12 states where it will conduct mock elections to test run the use of Card Readers.

    INEC released the list in its bulletin No. 726 on the preparation for the general elections.

    The statement said: “ Ahead of the general elections rescheduled for March 28th and April 11th 2015 and taking advantage of the six weeks period of extension from the previous schedule, the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) is to further conduct field testing of the functionality of the Smart Card Readers to be deployed for the accreditation of voters on Election Day.”

    “According to the Commission’s Decision Extract issued on 26th February and signed by the Director(Commission’s Secretariat), Ishiaku A. Gali, the field testing will take place in two states of each of the six geopolitical zones of the Federation simultaneously  on March 7.

    “The states selected for the exercise are: Ekiti and Lagos(South-West); Anambra and Ebonyi(South-East); Delta and Rivers(South-South); Kano and Kebbi(North-West); Bauchi and Taraba(North-East); and Niger and Nasarawa(North-Central).

    “According to the Decision Extract, the Resident Electoral Commissioners(RECs) of the selected states are charged with the following tasks:

    •Selecting one Registration Area with full complement of the PVCs and with appreciable distribution level of such PVCs for undertaking the field test;

    •Ensuring that the Register of Voters in respect of all Polling Units(PUs) in the selected Registration Area is printed for the conduct of the exercise; and

    •Carrying out engagements with key stakeholders at the state level, and in particular, stakeholders in the selected Registration Area where exercise would be conducted to ensure massive participation by registered voters.

    “The Decision Extract further directed that National Commissioners are to supervise the conduct of the exercise in their zones and that Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) who are not selected for the exercise should observe the conduct of the exercise in their zones in conjunction with the National Commissioners.”

  • Court refuses to stop INEC from using Card Reader

    Court refuses to stop INEC from using Card Reader

    Some opponents of Card Reader Machines (CRM) yesterday lost their legal battle to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from deploying the equipment for the general elections.

    Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja  in a ruling yesterday, declined to grant a prayer by four political parties – United Democratic Party (UDP), Action Alliance (AA), Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) and Alliance for Democracy (AD) – for, among others,  an interim order restraining INEC from proceeding with plans to use the CRM.

    The judge noted that although the parties had made out a case for the granting of their prayers, sought ex-parte (without the knowledge of the other party), the balance of convenience, was not in their favour.

    “There is no loss that the plaintiffs will suffer if the defendant (INEC) is given the opportunity to respond to the issues raised. This court feels that it is fair that the defendant be given the opportunity to be heard,” the judge held.

    He, however, granted the plaintiffs’ prayers for abridgment of time for the defendant to respond and an order for accelerated hearing in the case.  He ordered INEC to within four days of the service of plaintiffs’ processes on it, respond and serve it responses on the plaintiffs. He adjourned till March 10 for hearing.

    The parties had, in the motion ex-parte, argued yesterday by Alex Iziyon (SAN), leading two other SANs, sought an order

    •of interim injunction restraining the defendant, its agents, servants, privies or assigns, by whatever name, from implementing or commencing or further implementing or further commencing or directing or further directing the use and preparation of the Card Reader Machine or any name of like nature, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

    •abridging time within which the defendant may file and deliver all responses to the plaintiffs’ originating summons and motion on notice to four days from the date of service of plaintiffs’ processes; and

    •an order granting accelerated hearing of the matter.

    Iziyon argued that INEC’s decision to deploy card readers for the election was a violation of the provision of Section 52(1)(2), which prohibits the use of any  electronic method of voting in the country. He contended that  the deployment of card reader  for voters’ verification could pass as electronic voting.

    The parties are among the 16 that supported the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in objecting to the conduct of the elections as earlier scheduled – on February 14 and 28. They have adopted President Jonathan (the presidential candidate of the PDP) as their candidate.

    The parties argued that the use of Card Reader Machine for the forthcoming election is not in conformity with the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) and that their members who have been enlightened on the accreditation procedure as contained in the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) would be disenfranchised as they were not educated on the use of Card Reader.