LAGOS – Several eligible voters in Lagos on Thursday expressed confidence in the workings of smart card readers after witnessing a test-run by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the commission displayed the workings of the card readers at a stakeholders’ meeting held at the premises of Archbishop Vining Memorial Cathedral in Ikeja.
It was a prelude to the March 7 test-run of card readers in polling units in Onigbongbo Ward in Ikeja, ahead of the 2015 general elections.
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NAN reports that the event attracted traditional rulers, religious and community leaders, party faithful, women groups and Civil Society Organisations, among others.
Mr Isiaka Bello, one of the participants at the forum, told NAN that the card reader would make the voters’ votes to count.
“To me, I think Nigeria is moving forward and better and we are going to another level entirely.
“Using the card readers is one of the things we have been looking forward to see, we are moving forward if our votes count during the elections,’’ Bello said.
He said that everyone that believed that votes should count should support the new technology.
Bello said that the verification of his card took less than 60 seconds.
Dr Solomon Orji, Lagos State Chairman of Citizens’ Popular Party (CPP), who also expressed satisfaction over the exercise, commended the commission for the innovation.
“ It is a good development and it is welcome. Nigeria is getting there gradually.
“I thank God that Nigeria’s election is getting up to standard. I give credit the Chairman of INEC and the Federal Government of Nigeria,’’ Orji said.
According to him, the verification of his PVC took him only one minute and few seconds.
Mr Samuel Akubor, another participant said: `I am very happy to be part of these changing times in Nigeria.
“We have been complaining of the issues of rigging, thuggery, snatching of ballot boxes.
“With this innovation, all these are eliminated already. It took me less than a minute to be through with my card.’’
Akubor said that he would help the commission to educate people on the workings of the card readers in the ward.
“I will tell people in Onigbongbo ward to embrace this technology. I don’t see any reason why anyone should resist the use of the card readers in the forthcoming elections,’’ he said.
Engr. Deji Doherty, a former acting Vice-Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party in the South-West, however, said that the exercise could take a lot of hours on the voting day.
“My impression is that it is going to take too much time to go through with the card readers.
“The card reader is a good idea but the circle has to be complete,’’ he said, explaining that failure of the card readers could lead to delays.
Mr Adekunle Adeokun, Executive Secretary of Ikeja Local Government, commended INEC for organising the stakeholders’ meeting.
“I must commend the INEC for organising this stakeholders meeting; it shows their commitment and I am appealing to the people to please cooperate with them for us to have smooth elections.
“So far, what we have seen on the test-run confirms that the INEC is ready for the elections,’’ he said.
Earlier, Mr Akin Orebiyii, the state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, said that the commission had chosen Onigbongbo Ward to carry out field test for smart card readers on March 7.
Orebiyii said that the field test of the card readers would hold in 50 voting points spread across 30 polling units of the Ward in Ikeja Local Government Area and tolsd people in the area to come with their PVCs.
According to him, Onigbongbo Registration Area/Ward has 24, 638 voters and at the moment, all the PVCs in the registration area have been printed and delivered.
“Out of the 24, 638 registered voters, 14, 873 voters have collected their cards, although we have all the cards in that particular area.
“ Therefore, it is quite a suitable area for us to carry out the test on Saturday,’’ he said.
According to him, there will be supervisors, Presiding Officers and Assistant Presiding Officers for the exercise to hold between 8am and 1 pm on Saturday.
He said that the officers would authenticate the genuineness of the PVCs and verify their owners.
“if it is an INEC card, it will indicate so, if it is not it will reject.
“Any card outside INEC card will not be authenticated, the issue of cloned cards on Election Day will not work,’’ he said.
On the Permanent Voter Cards, Orebiyii said that the commission had received a little above 5.5 million, distributed about 3.7million, while about 1.8 million PVCS had not been collected.
Orebiyii said that the state had been assured that the outstanding 400, 000 PVCs not yet delivered into the state would soon arrive for distribution.(NAN)
