After all the trepidations in the past few weeks over our national elections, Nigerians finally went to the polls last Saturday.
Until the elections actually started, many still doubted whether the elections would hold, as all manner of busybodies had initiated one arcane legal challenge or another, to scuttle the elections. There was also fears that the election could yet again be postponed. Many were also really afraid that if the elections held, it will be conducted amidst mayhem and bloodshed, even as the Boko Harem elements that had threatened to disrupt the polls, were in retreat. The preparedness of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), also worried many others.
Thankfully, our common fears over possible violence came to nought, as the election witnessed minor security challenges, across the country. The real challenge however came from the Smart Card Reader (SMR) that failed to read or play smart, in some polling stations.In my polling station number 059, in Festac Town, Lagos; the SMR became the common enemy of all voters, regardless of theirpartisan interests. While I could haphazard the political preferences of somevoters, as I moved from one group to another, the frustration from the failure of the card reader to perform did not enjoy such discriminations.
The frustration was palpable. Throughout the morning hours, many of the voters endured the delay as they threw banters at one another, while waiting for a solution to the illiterate SCR.The INEC officials also intermittently tried to see whether the equipment could answer its name. Indeed many of us were confused as to the capabilities of the equipment. For some, the problem of the card reader stemmed from lack of signals from the INEC headquarters. To solve the challenge, the INEC officials were asked to change their seating position, to aid reception. But no deal.
Some other voters asked the officials to keep trying different voter cards. Again no deal.They were also voters who shuttled between our voting centre and INEC’s office in Festac, to find a solution. When eventually the information filtered in that President Goodluck Jonathan’s card had suffered rejection in the hands of the SCR, I could notice that his supporters, became even more agitated, over the failed card reader. Some canvassed that it was all pre-planned, by INEC and the opposition party, to frustrate the voting centres, which they believed would favour the President’s party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Not to be outdone by their opponents, those disposed to the All Progressive Congress (APC) in their own quiet corners, taunted that the PDP was responsible for the failed card reader. In one dramatic intervention, one man told those gathered aroundhim that it was the card jamming equipment brought in by the Israelis that was at work. Between those supporting the PDP and the APC, there was however only quietdifferences;no singleconfrontation. As the news that the card readers had malfunctioned in more places, and with the midday stepping in, the frustration enlarged.
By 2.00pm many voters were gone, leaving the diehards to square it out. By this time, the presiding officer quietly left the venue, and I was told she had gone to the INEC office to repair the card reader. Before then, the official had said that an INEC engineer was moving from one polling booth to another to repair the SCR. The idea to go the INEC office came up, after the voters raised their concerns that time was running out. The assistant polling Officers after nearly an hour, made a call, and told those around her that the repairs would soon reach the turn of our card reader.
By this time, the remaining voters were becoming aggressive. As to whether the presiding assistants would now use manual accreditation, as information filtered in that nearby polling booths whose card readers also failed, had started using manual accreditation;the two assistants vehemently refused, stating that they were yet to receive instructions from the state headquarters,Yaba.With this debacle, a few more of thosehanging around, decided to go home. Some others who earlier went home to have some refreshments,were also strolling back to the voting centre, to see whether the card readers had become literate enough, toread the voter’s biometrics,or smart enough to recognise the INEC cards. But not luck.
As if on a queue, one voter few minutes after 3pm made a call, and while still having the phone on, he quietly approached the polling assistant, requesting her to talk to her superior. After a few efforts on the phone, the official announcedthat voters should queue up for manual accreditation. Shortly after, the presiding officer sauntered back, and also announced that INEC headquarters has sanctioned manual accreditation. When I asked for complaint-forms from the presiding officials, before the manual voting, they claimed not to have any. Some other voters were so anxious to vote that they were not interested in anything that could cause further delay.
By 4.30pm, the officials started getting the voting materials ready, after announcing a total of 123 accredited voters, even as one more person claimed number 124. By about 5.20pm, the first voter cast his vote, and close to 6.00pm, I finally voted. Totally exhausted, I headed home with the frustration that the SCR may have across the country, rendered our high hopes a nullity. Later in the evening, I heard from Professor AtahiruJega that only about 350 card readers failed, out of about 119, 000. Since this piece went out on Sunday,a day after the elections; while the results and the reactions of the contestants and their parties were awaited, I was only hopeful that all our efforts would not be in vain.
