Chairman of Senate Committee on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Dr Andy Uba has said that the use of card-readers in the forthcoming election will ensure a free, fair and credible exercise.
Speaking on the test-run of the machines on Saturday, Uba said he was particularly impressed by the level of confidence exuded by INEC staff in their handling of the card-readers, stating that without equivocation,, INEC is ready to conduct a credible election that would make Nigerians proud.
In a statement by his media aide, Uchem Obi, entitled “Report of the INEC
Card-Reader Test conducted in Igbo-Ukwu, Anambra State on Saturday, 7th March, 2015”, Uba said he randomly visited three polling units to determine first hand, the workability of the card-reader machines.
Part of the statements read: “Sequel to the test exercise embarked upon by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to determine the effectiveness of its card reader in the general elections of 2015, I travelled to Igbo-ukwu, the designated town for the exercise in Anambra State.
“I arrived at Amudo/ Akukwa square polling unit in Igbo-ukwu ward 1 at about 11.55am. At the time of my arrival at the polling unit with code number 011, only 15 people had been accredited. INEC officials at the unit complained of low turn-out of permanent voters card (PVC) holders but confirmed, that they would continue to wait for prospective voters to turn up till 1pm, when the exercise would be shut down.
“I arrived at Ihuanuka community Hall polling centre at 12.20pm. This centre with code number 011 has two polling points. At the time of my arrival, the first polling point had accredited 36 people while the second had accredited 30 people. INEC officials at the centre explained, that when the card reader works properly, it takes only about 30 seconds to accredit a voter.
“In answer to my question, they further explained, that they had experienced failure of the card-reader to image finger prints but quickly added, that in those instances, it was not due to any fault from the card-reader. The failure was attributed to dirty finger prints, arising from different pomades, body creams, hand-lotions and rough and coarse fingers, that were not properly washed”.
He explained that to determine the effectiveness of the card-reader in checkmating incidents of double voting, he requested a demonstration with an already accredited PVC and the card-reader to the admiration of everyone successfully detected the fraud and indicated that the PVC had already been used.
Senator Uba said he further requested for another exercise, this time, the accreditation of a PVC registered in another polling centre and the card-reader successfully detected the anomaly and indicated that the PVC was registered for use in another polling centre.
“I proceeded to Ihuofor hall polling centre with code number 009. At this polling unit, the card-reader failed a couple of times to capture a finger print. However, when the finger was properly cleaned, the card-reader captured it instantly. In answer to my question concerning the delay in accrediting one voter, INEC officials at the centre, though acknowledged the challenge, insisted, that there was progress.
“At this polling centre, I conducted another test, asking someone who registered elsewhere to be accredited at the centre. To the delight of everyone, the card-reader successfully detected the experimental fraud”, he said.
Uba said he had no hesitation in saying, that everything worked well in all the polling centres he visited except for the little time it took the card-reader to image dirty or greasy fingers.
The lawmaker said he equally observed that a card-reader’s battery went down to 40 per cent after only two hours instead of the 14 hours it was expected to last.
“The low turn-out of potential voters in all the centres I visited was worrisome. If this kind of apathy is replicated during the general elections, we may have an election in which many eligible voters may not care to cast their votes”, he added.
He recommended that INEC should make cleansing agents or chemicals available in all polling units across the country, saying, it would help to clean dirty fingers and reduce the overall time wasted by the card-reader in imaging finger prints. According to him, if that is done, it would accelerate the functions of card-readers and ensure that all eligible voters in a polling unit are accredited before the exercise is shut down for voting to begin.
He said: “In view of my observation of a card-reader’s battery that went down to 40 per cent after only two hours, I will recommend that INEC should provide, not only spare batteries but an efficient backup system, that would ensure that card-readers do not shut down mid-way into the accreditation exercise.
“I will recommend also, that in future or any time soon, that INEC will embark on this kind of exercise, that adequate sensitization and appropriate information mechanisms be adopted to increase people’s level of awareness about the impending exercise. Although, the elections have been fixed for March 28 and April 11, 2015, I still recommend, that INEC should liase with all first responders in election exercises for proper and efficient sensitization of the electorate towards the coming elections”.
