Ikechukwu Nnochiri
ABUJA—Chairman of the Independent Electoral
Commission, INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega,
Wednesday, said he has no regrets for insisting
on deploying Smart Card Reader machines for the
conduct of the general election, saying he knew
that the decision would attract unwarranted
attacks on his integrity as a person.
Would-be riggers the ones crying foul, says INEC
boss
Jega, who stated this while unveiling the Nigeria
Civil Society Situation Room in Abuja yesterday,,
maintained that it is only those that hitherto
nurtured plans to fraudulently manipulate the
outcome of the elections, that have been crying
foul over the introduction of the technology which
he said would only add credibility to the electoral
process in the country.
He said that INEC had perfected all its strategies
and put every apparatus in place with a view to
ensuring a hitch free poll that will reflect the
summative choice of Nigerians.
“Let me use this opportunity to reassure
Nigerians that we believe that we have done
everything possible to ensure that the 2015
general election is successful. We are adequately
prepared in terms of both logistics and
manpower. Likewise, all the security agencies,
especially the police which have a lead role to
play in terms of providing security during
elections, have assured us that they are ready.
Chairman of the Commission, Professor Attahiru
Jega
“Beginning from today, we are commencing the
rolling out of non-sensitive materials. Likewise,
from Friday, all the sensitive materials will be
retrieved from the vault of the Central Bank
Nigeria by our officers, accompanied by security
operatives and representatives of the political
parties”.
He said that the materials would be distributed to
states from where it would be taken to local
government areas and subsequently to the ward
level.
Jega further highlighted the fact that the
commission has provided and reasonably
equipped Registration Area Centers, RACs, “to
ensure that both our staff in various states and
security agents spend few hours of the night on
Friday there to enable them to be ready to deploy
the sensitive materials on the election morning”.
He assured that there will be remarkable
reduction in the delays that were previously
experienced in the commencement of elections, as
well as retrieval of materials at the end of
election.
However, the INEC boss said it was regrettable
that the results of the election will not be
electronically transmitted to the collation points.
He said though INEC initially piloted the procedure
at two previous elections in Cross River and Niger
States, “we decided that we will not put the
electronic transmission of results to use in 2015
in view of the controversies the procedure might
likely generate from those who don’t see anything
good in what we are doing as a commission.
“We can see the dust that the introduction of card
readers raised. So we decided to keep piloting
and improving on the system beyond 2015,
hopefully, by 2019, the commission will introduce
it for the general election”.
‘They know card readers ‘ll stop alteration of
figures’
On the issue of the card readers, Jega, who
stressed that the process will help address
concerns about the alteration of election figures
to fraudulently confer advantage on some
candidates to the detriment of others, said no
such thing would happen this time around.
“This is indeed why they have been attacking me
because they know that the card reader machines
will help us to address all those irregularities,
starting from the accreditation of voters at all the
polling units. How can they manipulate the
election when all the information with regards to
the number of voters that turned out at every
polling unit is automatically captured and
transmitted by the card reader machines?
‘We have made rigging impossible for them’
He continued; “We have made rigging impossible
for them as there is no how the total number of
votes cast at the polling unit could exceed the
number of accredited persons. Such discrepancy
in figures will be immediately spotted. This
technology will further make it impossible for any
corrupt electoral officer to connive with any
politician to pad-up results”, he added.
Besides, Jega noted that in the past, dubious
INEC officials usually delayed the entry of number
of accredited voters until the end of voting so as
to have the leeway to tamper with results, a
problem he said would be obviated by the smart
card readers.
He said that both the card readers and the result
sheets would be taken to the ward levels, “once
there is evidence of tampering, the information
saved in the card reader will be retrieved.
“To my mind, these are some of the reasons why
many of them are opposing the use of the card
readers. The crooked ways they used in the past
to get away with manipulation of election results
have been dealt with. This time, with the card
readers, such fraud will be easy to establish.
“We have further made arrangement that all the
results coming to local government collection
centers will be scanned, transformed to PDF
format and uploaded on our website so that
anybody can go there and confirm result from his
polling unit.
“We believe that this is an added value to our
process, it is something that we have not been
able to do in the past. Let me also use this
opportunity to advise political parties to pay
attention to the appointment and accreditation of
agents they will deploy at the polling unit level.
They should not appoint people without credibility,
who can be bought over by other party agents”,
Jega stated.
Police promises adequate security
Earlier at the event, the Inspector General of
Police, Mr. Suleiman Abba, who was represented
by the force public relations officer, Mr.
Emmanuel Ojukwu, expressed the readiness of the
Nigeria Police Force to provide adequate security
during and after the elections.
He said that particular attention was being
focused on the protection of NYSC members that
will work as ad-hoc staff for INEC during the
elections.
“Infact, we are already prepared for the 2019
elections. Those who taught the Nigeria will
disintegrate by 2015 are in for a disappointment.
Our men are well prepared, trained and motivated
to carry out their responsibilities during the
election. We are also working with other law
enforcement agencies to have adequate security
manpower”, Ojukwu said.
In a statement that was read by the Executive
Director of Policy and Legal Advocacy Center, Mr
Clement Nwankwo, the Civil Society Situation
Room, urged Nigerians to go out en mass to
exercise their franchise and defend their votes.
“It is important for all Nigerians to recognize that
beyond the partisan divisions and the outcomes
of the electoral contests, the future of Nigeria is
the main issue at stake”, it added.
The situation room is a coalition of over 60 Civil
Society Organizations that are involved in
monitoring elections in Nigeria.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/03/why-im-being-attacked-over-card-readers-jega/?utm_source=&utm_medium=facebook

Yes to transformation
Yes to jonathan
This man is confused, card reader wey never ready as at feb 14 he was still insisting to go on with the election.
I wonder what came into this man, apc really bit him

May common sense locate the poster above me this year.

Yes to Buhari
Yes to APC
Card reader will rip the umbrella off and the broom will be use to sweep its pieces

themilanway:
May common sense locate the poster above me this year.

7 wonderful Amen

transformer2019:
Yes to transformation
Yes to jonathan
This man is confused, card reader wey never ready as at feb 14 he was still insisting to go on with the election.
I wonder what came into this man, apc really bit him

guy we have to start using things like this for general election,we might not get it right now but has time goes on we shall definitely get there. Card reader is a good innovative just like utme cbt which was just introduced. You need to consult google to ask for the benefits of card reader. mind you the election wasn't postponed because of card reader but because of insecurity and pvc distribution from your post i realized you're against card reader and your party claimed to be 21st century political party SMH for your likes

fp tinz

shakol91:
7 wonderful Amenguy we have to start using things like this for general election,we might not get it right now but has time goes on we shall definitely get there. Card reader is a good innovative just like utme cbt which was just introduce. You need to consult google to ask for the benefit of card reader. mind you the election wasn't postponed because of card reader but because of insecurity and pvc distribution from your post i realized you're against card reader and your party claimed to be 21st century political party SMH for you're likes

mind you
My president implemented and approved the on-going reforms in inec.
You can now say inec is kinda credible all thanks to jonathan, obasanjo faiLed inec and jonathan redeemed inec, u have to give it to him. He provided funds for the technology, if he wanted to delay the funds, nobody will do anytin buh he didn't do oda wise. Sai to jonathan!

transformer2019:
mind you
My president implemented and approved the on-going reforms in inec.
You can now say inec is kinda credible all thanks to jonathan, obasanjo faiLed inec and jonathan redeemed inec, u have to give it to him. He provided funds for the technology, if he wanted to delay the funds, nobody will do anytin buh he didn't do oda wise. Sai to jonathan!

yes we appreciated the appointment of Jega as INEC boss,but why is goodluck and his party members trying hard to spoil the good work by kicking against this achievement by rejecting the use of card reader?

themilanway:
May common sense locate the poster above me this year.

amen

themilanway:
May common sense locate the poster above me this year.

amen .
the guy needs serious revival

themilanway:
May common sense locate the poster above me this year.

AMEN In Jesus Name

Jonadumb wants to fight corruption with Technology yet he is afraid of using card reader Technology

WHat a clueless leader

Has GEJ ever opposed the card reader? He approved and funded it,yet the wicked souls in APC claims he has done nothing.

Sai buhari

Why is it that all of a sudden, Pdp have stopped complaining about card reader?
This has really got me thinking.

You may have to get your head xamined,cos i dont really know what you want,when they were complaining u made noise everywhere,now they are no more complaining and still u are vomiting nonsense.


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ionsman:
Why is it that all of a sudden, Pdp have stopped complaining about card reader?
This has really got me thinking.