The controversy on the use of card readers for the rescheduled general elections prompted the Senate, last week, to summon the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, to the Upper House. JONATHAN NDA-ISAIAH writes on what transpired
The decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to postpone the general election for six weeks did not go down well with some stakeholders. INEC hinged the postponement on the advice of the security chiefs that they needed more time to fight the insurgency in the North East.
Fresh from the controversial shift, another crisis seems to be brewing as some stakeholders have rejected plans by INEC to use card readers for the elections. There have been claims and counter claims by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) on the use of the card readers for the elections.
While the PDP has suggested that Nigerians be allowed to use the Temporary Voter Cards (TVCs) in order not to allow full participation in the polls, the APC has insisted on the use of the Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) and card readers in the elections.
In recent years, the country’s albatross is the inability to conduct free and credible elections as it is often characterized by electoral frauds. Multiple voting, manipulation of electoral register, snatching of ballot boxes and threatening of electoral officers seem to be the order on elections. Many Nigeria are of the view that a free and fair election is a mirage in the country as corruption has eaten deep into the fabric of the system and the do or die mentality of some politicians who can go to any length to win elections.
In a bid to check electoral fraud and minimize it to the barest minimum, INEC has introduced the use of card readers to help reduce incidences and cases of electoral fraud. Prof. Attahiru Jega has repeatedly drummed it into the ears of Nigerians that he is not only determined to conduct free and fair elections but also violent- free polls.
The senate resuming from its four weeks recess last week summoned the INEC chairman to appear before her to explain the use of card readers and also shed more light on the election postponement.
Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, who raised the motion, submitted that the use of card readers amounts to contravention of section 52 of the Electoral Act (2010) which prohibits the use of electronic device during voting. However, Senate Minority Leader, George Akume, insisted that the Service Chiefs be summoned alongside Jega since they were the proponents of the election shift on the grounds of security.
Senate President, David Mark, kicked against the invitation of the Service Chiefs alongside Jega adding that Jega should first appear before the Senate, before any other resolution is taken.
INEC Boss Insists On Use of Card Readers In a four-hour briefing of senators on the postponement of the polls, the commission’s preparedness and the use of card readers in the forthcoming polls, Jega insisted on the use of card readers for the elections and declared the readiness of the commission to conduct elections on March 28 and April 11, adding that he could not say if the security agencies would be ready for the rescheduled polls.
Jega, however, stressed that any further attempt to postpone the poll dates would be a breach of the provisions of the constitution.
He said the commission will be fully ready before the new dates. He, however, directed the lawmakers to ask the security agencies if the new dates were sacrosanct as the matter was beyond his office.
“Certain questions should be directed to security agencies,” he said.
“I don’t see how anybody will contemplate any extension beyond this point because it will be beyond the constitution’s time frame. I cannot guarantee the sanctity of the dates because there are things under the control of security agencies.”
He also insisted on the use of card readers, saying the decision of the electoral body to use the electronic device is not a breach of the electoral process or laws in any way.
“The use of the card readers for the purpose of accreditation of voters is one of the innovations introduced by the commission to improve the credibility of the electoral process; in particular, the accreditation process. It is not offensive to the Electoral Act or to the constitution. It adds value to the desires of Nigerians to have a credible election in line with international best practices.”
He explained that whereas Section 52 of the Electoral Act prohibits the use of electronic voting, the card reader is neither a voting machine nor will it be used for voting, but it is merely an electronic device introduced to improve the integrity of the voting process.
While speaking on the technicalities of the card readers, Jega said the commission had taken care of eventualities such as malfunctioning of machines or factory defects, noting that, already, 510 out of 120, 000 card readers had malfunctioned during the testing process. He, however, assured the legislators that adequate efforts had been put in place to handle such situations.
“Using the card readers has challenges: What if a card reader fails? What if a person is verified and his fingerprint cannot be authenticated? We have worked together with all political parties and agreed on what to do if any of these arises. In the likely event that a card reader fails, we have enough spares to deploy before the end of the accreditation at 1pm.
“If we cannot replace before the end of accreditation, then the election in that particular point will be postponed to the following day when a new card reader will be provided for election.
Jega further explained that if a voter’s PVC had been read and the details had been verified but his fingerprint could not be authenticated or he or she had no fingers, an incidence form would be written by the presiding officer at the voting point and the voter would then be accredited, with party agents and observers there testifying to it.
The electoral boss went on to discuss what his organisation was doing to prepare for the election.
“In the next six weeks, the commission hopes to utilise the period of extension to organise more public enlightenment programme on the use of the card reader, but we have already done a number of tests. We have tested these card readers in a pilot scheme here in the FCT and some of the states. We have sent national commissioners to supervise the distribution of PVCs and they went with technical officers and the card readers, and wherever they went, as people were collecting their cards, they were also checking to see whether the cards could be read.
In general, we are satisfied with the result”.
Professor Jega also informed the Senate that between 800,000 and 1,000,000 permanent voter cards (PVCs) were yet to be produced.
He, however, assured Nigerians that all the cards will be produced and ready for collection before the March 28 presidential election, noting that 76 per cent of PVCs collection had been recorded nationwide.
Jega and his team also demonstrated the use of the card readers to the senators, using their PVCs to show them how the process works.
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