The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP yesterday said it was not against the use of electronic card reader by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, saying it was only against using them without a trial run.
Speaking to newsmen in Abuja yesterday, the Deputy National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus noted that it was imperative for the machines to be tested and not to be used as guinea pig as that would disenfranchise many eligible voters across the country.
He stressed that for the strength and structure of PDP in the 9572 wards and 774 local governments in the country, there was no way it would engage in buying of the Permanent Voters Cards, PVCs, adding that President Goodluck Jonathan would not bribe voters or buy the PVCs to enable it win the March 28 Presidential elections.
Secondus said: “Since it is the first time we will adopt this technology, it should be in perfect condition so that people will not have cause to complain.
“This is the position of the party and I want to make it clear to Nigerians that the PDP is not against the card reader but we urge INEC to test run them so that they will be in perfect condition on the day of election.
“We believe that we don’t go into such crucial elections with trial and error arrangement, the Commission must test run them and put them in perfection.
“The main opposition, the All Progressive Congress, APC and its leaders are panicking, that is why they are making all series of false claims and peddling unfounded rumours around in order to cause confusion in the land ahead of the general elections. ”
Nigerians and the international community should beware of this propaganda by the APC.
While speaking on claims by Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State that heavens will not fall if INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega is sacked, Secondus said the governor spoke for himself and not for the party.
Secondus, who noted that Fayose was merely expressing his opinion, stressed that what he said should not be construed to mean the position of the party on the issue.
Speaking further, Secondus expressed optimism that PDP and its Presidential Candidate, President Jonathan would win the March 28 Presidential elections.
We Corp members that are going to be @ the polling units are also @ risk. As it will be difficult to tell a voter who has left his home to vote that he can’t because the Card reader couldn’t verify him. INEC should look seriously into it.
INEC has clarified that even after the card verification failure, they still have other ways of identifying an intended voter, and he would be allowed to vote accordingly.
But all the same, make sure you do not get involved in some kind of ‘business’ at the polling station like the way some NYSC corpers were alledged to have done in Bauchi state in 2011.
It is even more easy now to know a ‘fraudulent’ polling ‘worke’.