The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, yesterday endorsed last weekend’s trial run on the card readers and resolved to use the device for the forthcoming general elections.
The INEC stance nonetheless, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governors were last night locked in a meeting in Lagos where they were articulating strong objections to the use of the device.
The PDP governors, who had erstwhile deputy national chairman of the party, Chief Olabode George and other stalwarts in attendance at the meeting, Vanguard learnt, were also raising issues on the term of INEC chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega.
Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, who was present, canvassed at the beginning of the meeting that Jega should leave office three months to the end of his tenure in accordance with public service rules.
The endorsement of the card reader was given at a meeting of the 12 national commissioners of the commission at INEC headquarters in Abuja. The meeting was presided over by INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega.
Yesterday’s meeting came ahead of further preparatory meetings with the 37 Resident Electoral Commissioners, RECs, who are in charge of the 36 states of the federation and Abuja.
The use of the card reader had divided the political class with the two major political parties taking divergent positions on the device. INEC claims the cards would stop multiple voting by ensuring that only possessors of the Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, can vote at voting points where the PVCs are programmed to.
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, had following last Saturday’s trial run, expressed reservations, noting difficulties in the accreditation through the failure of the biometric confirmation among some voters.
The All Progressives Congress, APC, on its part said it was satisfied with the device and urged the commission to go ahead with the use of the card readers.
