Given the trenchant positions for and against the
introduction of the card readers, Nigerians and
indeed, international election observers would be
in suspense on the efficacy of what the country’s
Election Management Body has promised as the
antidote to election rigging.
However, even the national chairman of the
Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC,
Prof. Attahiru Jega is not oblivious that as a
mechanical or electronic device that the card
reader could have its problems. So despite the fact
that not more than 160,000 units would be
needed, the commission according to him
procured an extra 20,000 units to serve as
backups on Election Day.
Two possible scenarios
If the functional card reader fails to read your PVC,
you would be politely told to leave the polling
station and the incidence would be noted down by
the polling officer. Where you resist, law
enforcement officers would be asked to handle
you.
However, if the card reader authenticates the card
as genuine but fails to match the finger print of the
person who brought it to that on the PVC, the
assistant presiding officer shall repeat the process
again and if the finger print still does not
authenticate the person, then the potential voter
will be referred to the presiding officer or a senior
officer at the polling unit. That officer would
examine the PVC to establish if it really belongs to
the voter and if satisfied and with the concurrence
of the agents of the parties allow the potential voter
to proceed to the next stage of the accreditation
process and for voting.
However, the incidence of the card reader failing to
cross match the PVC to the finger print shall be
noted as an incidence. This is because the card
reader keeps a tabulation of all those who passed
through the screening exercise.