The test-run of card readers’ machines by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in 12 states was largely successful with pockets of hitches in some areas.
Many of the machines deployed by the commission performed excellently though the thumb prints of some voters were rejected.
Turnouts varied from state to state with voters in the north more enthusiastic.
The ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), however, protested what it described as “series of complaints from Nigerians”.
Its National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, in a statement yesterday, said: “Our response to the emerging problems and challenges from Saturday’s testing of the card reader is ‘RES IPSA LOQUITOR’- the fact speaks for itself.
“The PDP and indeed all well-meaning Nigerians await INEC’s official response and or its final decision after such defining challenges.”
58 percent voters authentic in Niger
In Niger, 58 percent with Permanent Voters’ Card (PVCs) have been cleared as authentic in Niger State.
The card readers’ machine rejected the remaining 42 percent voters.
The National Commissioner for the electoral body, Dr. Chris Iyimoga, disclosed these in Gwada ward of Shiroro Local Government area.
He said the figures were from the 18 polling units in the ward, which initially had a total of 10,243 persons with PVCs and Temporary Voter Cards (TVCs).
Only 1,799 eligible voters, he added, turned up for the exercise out of which 1,045 were authenticated by the card readers.
Some voters however complained about the delays encountered with the device during the test-run.
They expressed fear that Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) may not meet up with the time allocated for accreditation of voters during elections.
The All Progressives Congress (APC)ý in the state commended the electoral body for exercise, stating that the device may be free from abuse.
Its Public Secretary, Jonathan Vatsa, who observed the exercise, said INEC did a fantastic job, adding that it would knock out the issue of multiple voting.
“APC is in support of the card readers. This shows that we are moving away from the old age to the new age and that we are moving forward as a nation.”
Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon. Umar Ma’ali, also praised INEC.
He stated his party was satisfied with the device but skeptical with the time frame for accreditation.
“It takes more time to accredit one voter. The time allocated will not meet up with the accreditation of the voters.
“PDP is satisfied with the card readers. We only have questions on the time frame. The time allocated is five hours and it takes one minute to accredit a voter.
“If there are 1,000 voters in a polling unit, it means it would take up to 14 hours to accredit them. Something needs to be done about this.”
Device records hitches in Ebonyi
There were hiccups with the card readers’ machines deployed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for test-run in Ebonyi.
Most eligible voters complained the machines did not capture their thumb prints.
They also said the process took longer than expected.
Director of National Orientation Agency (NOA), Dr. Emma Abbah, attributed the hiccups to the machines or the servers.
He disclosed that in a place his team visited, only two out of 22 voters were authenticated.
‘’I hope the technical team of INEC is noting the problems to be able to correct the lapses before the main elections,’’ he said.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Lawrence Azubuike, said the authentication did not go well as expected by the commission.
‘’The authentication has been very poor in most of the units. At the end of the day, we are going to get detailed reports from the officers who already have what we called the Incident Reports Forms in which they will fill out the specific issues encountered in the field,’’ he said.
Impressive turnout in Kano
Stakeholders and observers have hailed yesterday’s mock elections in Kano as hugely successful.
The exercise conducted at Danmaliki ward in Kumbosto local government area also recorded high turnout.
However, our correspondent observed that out of 60 accredited persons at the 006 polling unit, 39 cases failed.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Alhaji Minkaila Abdullahi, stated that the agency has made contingency arrangement to tackle the hitches.
According to him: “The only challenge we are facing is the minor problem of the machine capturing some of the finger prints and the cause could be attributed to the texture of individual skin, so the machine is reliable for the elections.”
“The Commission is mindful of the fact that there is need for assessment and that is why the accreditation is now made to take place from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The outcome of this exercise will determine the acceptability of the card reader machine for the election.”
The chairman of Kumbotso Local Government Area, Alhaji Lawal Ismaila, expressed satisfaction with the exercise.
An observer with Nigeria United for Democracy (NUD), Adamu Adams, stated: “INEC should enlighten the people the more and provide water or spirit so that if people could wash their hands, the process will be easier and faster.
“So, to me, I can put the level of success of this mock election at 60 per cent.”
Card readers have come to stay, says REC
Bauchi’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. Hamman Saad, yesterday dismissed campaigns by some groups and politicians for rejection of card readers for the forthcoming general elections.
He maintained “nothing would further strengthen and deepen democracy in Nigeria better than the use of the card readers.”
Saad spoke while demonstrating functions of the readers in his office in Bauchi, the state capital.
He stressed that “the era of electoral malpractice is over.”
The REC explained “the Commission has taken adequate and necessary measures to ensure free, fair and credible elections.
“I want our people to know that the era of election malpractices and rigging by politicians is gone for good.”
Prof. Sa’ad, who conducted the 2011 general elections in Borno State, disclosed that INEC in Bauchi State has received 5,385 card readers and 4,749 ballot boxes.
He explained the decision to use card readers was to eliminate electoral malpractices during elections.
Answering questions on how the device works, Saad stated: “Once the card reader captures the fingerprint of a voter, it records the number and sends it to the central data bank at the INEC National Headquarters, ICT unit Abuja and Bauchi.”
He warned miscreants to keep away from the polling units as law enforcement agents are permitted to deal with those out to cause trouble or confusion during voting.
Machines faulty in Anambra
It took between 10 seconds and 20 minutes for voters who participated in the mock election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to get accredited yesterday in Anambra.
The card readers rejected the thumb prints of many of the voters.
Also, few eligible voters turned up for the exercise.
Voters with confirmed Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) had their finger prints rejected with the machines indicating ‘verification failed’ when subjected to use.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Edwin Offor Nwatarali, insisted the readers were in good shape and would work smoothly.
He explained many of the rejected finger prints were attributable to greasy or dirty fingers.
Nwatarali said: “We however overcame that by making the voters to wash their hands and cleaning them properly before coming to thumbprint.
“We believe that on the whole, the card will help us to have a good election.”
Senator Chris Uba(Anambra South) confirmed the cards worked perfectly, saying they will help to achieve credible polls.
Uba representing Anambra South Senatorial Zone, also said that the cards were working perfectly and would help to conduct a very credible election.
Successful verification in Delta
The mock verification exercise in Delta State was largely successful despite minor glitches and poor turnout.
The card readers performed without major hitches at Niger Mixed Secondary School and Asagba Primary Schools in Asaba, the state capital.
Edo Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mike Igini, assured the minor hitches recorded would be accommodated by options such as filling incident form and time compensation.
Delta State Independent Election Commission (DSIEC boss), Moses Ogbe, urged Nigerians to give the card readers a chance.
He stated that the error margins of the readers were negligible.
According to him, the electoral body may provide basic facilities at polling units to accommodate those whose fingerprints were dirty and could not be verified by the card readers.
Cloned PVC fails in Rivers
A suspected cloned Permanent Voters Card (PVC) failed verification yesterday in Port-Harcourt during the mock election.
It was discovered the PVC was not issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after the card readers’ machine failed to recognise the bearer.
The test-run was conducted in all the 23 units of Ward 1 (Oromineke and Ezimgbu) and the 19 voting points in the area.
188 officials of INEC carried out the exercise.
Rivers Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dame Gecila Khan, who monitored the test-run, said the exercise conducted was successful.
She said the essence of the card readers’ machine was to spot out irregularities.
At Mopol 19, Old GRA area of Port Harcourt, the turnout was impressive.
Electoral officials filled out incident forms on their behalf with the promise to rectify the issue before the election dates.
Machines fail in Taraba
The card readers failed to identify thumb prints in at least seven polling units yesterday in Taraba.
The exercise, which began by 800am, was conducted in the polling units of Mutum Biu ward in Gasol local government area of Taraba state.
The exercise witnessed a large out of voters.
The polling officer at Kofan Serki Lawan Maigeri and his counterpart at Alhasan polling unit told reporters that the failure of the machines was a major setback for the forthcoming general elections.
INEC’s National Commissioner in charge of Adamawa, Gombe and Taraba states, Dr. Nuru Yakubu, said the commission was happy with the exercise despite the hitches.
Yakubu, who was accompanied by INEC Resident Electoral Commissioners of Gombe, Adamawa and Taraba, described the exercise as “a huge success for the commission” since two out of the three aims of the card reader were achieved.
Hitch-free in Lagos
The field testing of Smart Card Readers, SCRs, by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Saturday, in Lagos, was generally successful as the exercise was bereft of technical challenges.
The event which commenced at 8am across the 50 voting points in Onigbongbo Ward in Ikeja, held simultaneously at the various polling units.
Prospective voters came out in trickles with their Permanent Voters’ Card, PVCs, for the accreditation process which was done by four INEC officials in each of the voting points.
Unlike other voting points in Onigbongbo, the turn out at most of the polling units in Ikeja G.R.A was not impressive..
Some residents, who had thought the exercise was for PVCs collection, used the opportunity to compliant that they were yet to get their PVCs, despite seeing their names on the voters’ register.
The Lagos State chairman of INEC, Mr. Akin Orebiyi, who monitored the exercise, commended the event, noting that the result had cleared doubts about the efficiency of SCRs.
His words: “The intention of today’s exercise is primarily to test the efficiency of the Smart Card Readers. That is why we are here. And we have achieved good results. This shows that the card readers are efficient. So, politicians who have doubts about the device can now see that the device will contribute in making the elections credible.’’
Parties, observers, voters hail exercise
International observers, non-governmental organisations, faith-based organisations, eligible voters and political parties have okayed the use of card readers in Ekiti State.
This was after the test-run of the card readers’ machines at Dallimore Ward 009, which has 21,631 registered voters out of which 14,461 had collected their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) across 46 polling units.
Although the turnout was not impressive, the practical demonstration of the device assured voters the machines were neither time-wasting nor designed to disenfranchise them.
At about 11.30 am when our reporter visited polling unit 002 at the ward, no fewer than 60 voters had been accredited with the use of the readers.
The technical officers, who manned the unit, stated that the average time for accreditation ranged from four to six seconds.
At Ajitadidun/Olora’s compound polling unit 006, it was discovered that the average range of time of accreditation ranged between five and thirteen seconds.
Eligible voters who participated in the exercise commended INEC for the innovation, which they believed would make the forthcoming polls more credible.
A voter, who was verified at Dallimore Polling Unit 002, Mrs. Taiwo Ojo, said: “I spent less than five seconds to get accredited. I am happy about one thing, if I had brought a fake voter card, the machine would have detected it and anything that could detect fraud is good for election. So, I support the use of these machines”.
Political parties in Ekiti State under the auspices of the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) also threw their weight behind the device.
The state CNPP Chairman, Tunji Ogunlola, who led party leaders to monitor the exercise, described it as very transparent and reliable.
Parties, who okayed the readers include All Progressives Congress (APC); African Democratic Congress (ADC); KOWA; National Conscience Party (NCP); Alliance for Democracy (AD); All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA); Citizens Popular Party (CPP); Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) and Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN).
An election observer from the European Union (EU), Mrs. Rumi Anna Dacheva, said she was impressed by the workability of the card readers. Agency report
