INEC sure of Card Readers

There seems to be no going back on the use of Smart Card Readers (SCRs) in the general elections.

Independent National Electoral Commission has invited all political parties for a session on the machines, which it insists will check rigging and improve efficiency.

Ahead of the session, the electoral commission last night said it was satisfied that the SCRs will add tremendous transparency and credibility to accreditation on Election Day.

But the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is said to be mobilising smaller parties for a protest against the SCRs at tomorrow’s meeting.

The plot to “create a scene” in INEC  was uncovered last night.

A source, who spoke in confidence, said: “INEC will meet with all the political parties on Thursday to make its position known, that it will not go back on SCRs.

“The commission will, however, use the session to get more input from the parties on how the SCRs can be successfully deployed for the general election.

“INEC will also present the outcome of the mock election conducted in 12 states to the political parties.”

But it was learnt that the meeting might be a stormy session because PDP is mobilising smaller parties to protest against INEC Chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega over card readers.

Another source said: “The PDP is poised for a showdown with INEC and Jega over the use of Card Readers. The party and 15 others have plotted a script to “create a scene” on Thursday.

“They are set to disrupt the meeting between Jega and political parties.

“Alternatively, they might seek a court injunction to restrain INEC from using Card Readers. There are four suits in court against the use of Card Readers and they are banking on a frivolous injunction to frustrate INEC.

“The PDP and 15 others are planning this protest, in spite of the fact that they have received legal advice that Card Readers do not violate the Electoral Act.”

INEC yesterday said it was satisfied with the adoption of SCRs for the general elections.

The commission, in a statement through the Chief Press Secretary to INEC chairman, Mr. Kayode Robert Idowu, said the Card Readers will ensure transparency and credibility of the accreditation for the general elections.

The statement said: “INEC is satisfied that the use of SCRs in the 2015 general elections will add tremendous transparency and credibility to the accreditation process on Election Day.

“The Commission hereby reassures the public that it will do everything necessary to ensure that the processes of the elections are seamless, free, fair, credible and peaceful.

“The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday, 09th March 2015, met to consider field reports from the public demonstration of Smart Card Readers (SCRs) conducted in 12 states on Saturday, March 07th 2015.

“The states were Rivers and Delta (Southsouth), Kano and Kebbi (Northwest), Anambra and Ebonyi (Southeast), Ekiti and Lagos (Southwest), Bauchi and Taraba (Northeast) as well as Niger and Nasarawa (Northcentral).

On the mock election last Saturday, the commission said about 59 per cent of the voters had their fingerprints successfully authenticated.

It, however, promised to correct all lapses before the general election.

The statement added: “Overall, 59% of voters who turned out for the demonstration had their fingerprints successfully authenticated.

“ But the Commission, in agreement with registered political parties, had provided in the approved Guidelines for the conduct of the 2015 elections that where biometric authentication of a legitimate holder of a genuine PVC becomes challenging, there could be physical authentication of the person and completion of an Incident Form, to allow the person to vote.

“The Commission nevertheless took a serious view of the high rate of the SCRs’ failure to authenticate voters’ fingerprints in some areas, particularly in Ebonyi State, and has decided to thoroughly investigate the cause; as well as repeat the public demonstration in that state.

“This demonstration will be conducted in the particular Registration Area involved in the last exercise, namely Izzi Unuhu (Abakaliki Local Government Area); as well as in Ibii/Oziza Registration Area (Afikpo North LGA). The repeat demonstration will be on Saturday, March 14th 2015.”

INEC explained four reasons behind the adoption of the SCRs.

It said: “The Commission observed that its decision to deploy SCRs for the 2015 general elections have FOUR main objectives, namely:

•To verify Permanent Voter cards (PVCs) presented by voters at polling units and ensure that they are genuine, INEC-issued (not cloned) cards. From the reports on Saturday’s exercise, this objective was achieved 100 per cent.

•To biometrically authenticate the person who presents a PVC at the polling unit and ensure that he/she is the legitimate holder of the card. In this regard, there were a few issues in some states during the public demonstration.

•The SCRs provide disaggregated data of accredited voters in male/female and elderly/youth categories – a disaggregation that is vital for research and planning purposes, but which INEC until now had been unable to achieve. The demonstration on Saturday fully served this objective.

•The SCR sends the data of all accredited voters to INEC’s central server, equipping the Commission to be able to audit figures subsequently filed by polling officials at the PU and, thereby, be able to determine if fraudulent alterations were made. The public demonstration also succeeded wholly in this regard.