Card reader malfunctioning, logistics challenges and violence, among
others, marred the conduct of the general election held across the
country yesterday.
The electoral body, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) also had its own share of setback as its website was temporarily hacked into.
There were also pockets of violence in a number states, including Yola, Gombe and Rivers, where no fewer 10 people lost their lives.
There was, however, heavy security presence at the INEC collation centre, in Abuja. A combination of Department State Services (DSS), police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) screened journalists, observers and other relevant stakeholders at the premises.
It was however gathered that the Directorate State Security (DSS) was in charge of the vicinity and not the police. There was no sign of soldiers in the vicinity, but they were seen at different checkpoints within the city.
Polling stations opened late in many areas as officials rushed across the country with ballot materials being delivered by trucks, speedboats, motorcycles, mules and even camels in the case of a remote northern mountaintop village.
Streets across the country were deserted. Only electoral officials, observers, security officials and media journalists with relevant stickers were allowed to use the roads. Sea and land borders had been closed during the week.
Card reader disappoints First Family
President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Patience, turned up yesterday for accreditation bid but problems with new voting technology forced him to temporarily abandon his plans. He, was however, later accredited using the manual system.
Jonathan had arrived at Ward 13, Unit 39, Otabla in Otuoke, Bayelsa State at about 9:20am to begin the accreditation process, but the handheld card reader technology being used for the first time to “read” and authenticate biometric voter cards apparently malfunctioned.
While efforts were made to rectify the error, Jonathan was forced to wait in the scorching heat for a while before leaving.
PDP had raised concerns about the technology and election officials’ ability to use it.
Jonathan joked about hiccups created by the card reader, saying: “Maybe, it’s me?”
He called on the electorate to be patient in the face of the challenges posed by the new technology.
“If I can endure – you see my sweat – I plead with all Nigerians to be patient, no matter the pains we take; It’s the first time we are using this technology – PVCs, card readers,” he told reporters outside the polling station, adding that he was “not worried”, despite reports of difficulties in other states across the country.
After encountering problems with his accreditation via the card reader, President Jonathan finally cast his vote at about 3:07pm at his hometown in Otuoke, Bayelsa State.
The PDP presidential candidate was accredited after about three card readers had failed to read his card.
After Jonathan had finished casting his votes, his wife, Dame Patience cast hers about three minutes later, followed by the president’s mother, Ayi.
Given the initial challenges Jonathan had before he could vote, he placed a call through to the INEC chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega to get briefing of what was happening with the elections around the country.
Speaking to journalists after he was accredited, the president noted that the activities of anti-social elements, by “causing chaos and throwing bombs,” would not derail Nigeria from conducting free, fair and credible elections. He was reacting to reports than another bomb had exploded at a polling unit in the Maidoki area in Maiduguri.
“There are some anti-social elements that want to derail the process of voting but they will not succeed; definitely we will conduct our elections”, Jonathan stated, even as he sympathised with the families of the victims of Friday’s bomb attack on INEC office in Suleja, Niger State.
INEC’s Arrangement Excellent – Buhari
Clad in a white babariga with a cap to match, the APC presidential candidate, Gen. Mohammadu Buhari arrived at the Sarkinyara ward A, Kaafar Baru 0003 polling unit, Daura, Katsina State, to the hailing of a tumultuous crowd.
He was accredited at exactly 9:30am. Security personnel had a hectic time controlling the surging crowds as they made desperate attempts to catch a glance of him.
He expressed happiness over what he described as excellent arrangement put in place by INEC for the presidential poll.
“From what I have seen on ground here indicates the electoral body has really brace,” he said.
“I think I’m satisfied with the whole process so far. Let me use this opportunity to call on my supporters to remain calm and conduct themselves in the most peaceable manner throughout the elections,” he added.
Buhari promised that his administration would run an all-inclusive government if he emerges victorious at the polls. According to him, his administration would operate in such a way that everyone’s interests would attended to irrespective of party differences.
INEC Website Hacked, Restored
Hours into yesterday pre-voting accreditation exercise, INEC’s website was hacked into by a group that paraded itself as Nigerian Cyber Army, which warned INEC against rigging the election.
The hacking was confirmed by INEC on its Twitter handle, @inecnigeria.
“We are aware of the recent hack of our @inecnigeria website; we are currently investigating this incident #NigeriaDecides.”
The website was later restored at about 2pm, LEADERSHIP Sunday learnt.
Elections Continue Today
INEC yesterday declared that elections would be held today in all polling units where the card readers failed and could not be replaced in the course of the election.
The commission, which also admitted the challenges posed by the use of Smart Card Readers (SCRs) in accrediting voters for the elections, however, directed polling officers to manually accredit voters where it is certified that the person presenting the card is the bonafide owner of the card.
INEC further blamed the late arrival of INEC ad hoc officials and election materials to some voting centres in the FCT, Abuja, on some problems it encountered with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).
Nevertheless, the commission said the entire process was successful.
The commission also confirmed the hacking of the INEC website but assured that its IT experts were able to restore it.
Dr Chris Iyimoga, chairman, INEC committee on publicity, at a press briefing in Abuja yesterday, said the commission had noted the challenges encountered in the use of the card readers, resulting in slow accreditation of voters.
Iyimoga, who noted that the commission experienced some challenges in some parts of the country, added that such challenges necessitated a review of the Electoral Act to address the need for shift of the voting today.
Iyimoga said, “The scale of the challenge that we have observed has necessitated the reconsideration of the elections guidelines. The commission has therefore decided that, as part of guidelines for the general elections, the polling units where the card readers have failed to work, the presiding officer shall manually accredit voters by marking the register of voters and being satisfied that the person presenting the permanent voters card is the legitimate owner of the card.
“Those notwithstanding, the polling units where accreditation was suspended to the following day in accordance to the electoral guideline, arrangements will be made for voters to vote tomorrow subject to the Electoral Act 2015, as amended.”
He gave the assurance that the commission would investigate why the device failed on such a huge scale nationwide, adding that “INEC remains committed to the delivery of fair and credible elections in spite of these challenges.”
He however said the number of states affected with regards to extension of election will be communicated soon.
He said, “We can’t say at the word go now. But each REC of the federation has been informed. The problems are not in all the states of the country but in a few states and each of them have been informed. We can only get the details at the end of the day.”
Speaking generally on election process in the FCT, Iyimoga said: “In the FCT, for instance, we had a problem with the NURTW but that was sorted out and I want to assure you of progress. I had to visit the office of the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the FCT and while there, two observer teams, including that of the US ambassador, were there to see us. And he had gone round some polling units and his assessment at that time, at about 12pm – and that 85 to 90 per cent of the polling units – he was very impressed and it cut across.
“That is not saying we didn’t have challenges. In a few other states of course there were still a few delays but generally the commencement time was quite good across board.”
The electoral body, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) also had its own share of setback as its website was temporarily hacked into.
There were also pockets of violence in a number states, including Yola, Gombe and Rivers, where no fewer 10 people lost their lives.
There was, however, heavy security presence at the INEC collation centre, in Abuja. A combination of Department State Services (DSS), police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) screened journalists, observers and other relevant stakeholders at the premises.
It was however gathered that the Directorate State Security (DSS) was in charge of the vicinity and not the police. There was no sign of soldiers in the vicinity, but they were seen at different checkpoints within the city.
Polling stations opened late in many areas as officials rushed across the country with ballot materials being delivered by trucks, speedboats, motorcycles, mules and even camels in the case of a remote northern mountaintop village.
Streets across the country were deserted. Only electoral officials, observers, security officials and media journalists with relevant stickers were allowed to use the roads. Sea and land borders had been closed during the week.
Card reader disappoints First Family
President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Patience, turned up yesterday for accreditation bid but problems with new voting technology forced him to temporarily abandon his plans. He, was however, later accredited using the manual system.
Jonathan had arrived at Ward 13, Unit 39, Otabla in Otuoke, Bayelsa State at about 9:20am to begin the accreditation process, but the handheld card reader technology being used for the first time to “read” and authenticate biometric voter cards apparently malfunctioned.
While efforts were made to rectify the error, Jonathan was forced to wait in the scorching heat for a while before leaving.
PDP had raised concerns about the technology and election officials’ ability to use it.
Jonathan joked about hiccups created by the card reader, saying: “Maybe, it’s me?”
He called on the electorate to be patient in the face of the challenges posed by the new technology.
“If I can endure – you see my sweat – I plead with all Nigerians to be patient, no matter the pains we take; It’s the first time we are using this technology – PVCs, card readers,” he told reporters outside the polling station, adding that he was “not worried”, despite reports of difficulties in other states across the country.
After encountering problems with his accreditation via the card reader, President Jonathan finally cast his vote at about 3:07pm at his hometown in Otuoke, Bayelsa State.
The PDP presidential candidate was accredited after about three card readers had failed to read his card.
After Jonathan had finished casting his votes, his wife, Dame Patience cast hers about three minutes later, followed by the president’s mother, Ayi.
Given the initial challenges Jonathan had before he could vote, he placed a call through to the INEC chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega to get briefing of what was happening with the elections around the country.
Speaking to journalists after he was accredited, the president noted that the activities of anti-social elements, by “causing chaos and throwing bombs,” would not derail Nigeria from conducting free, fair and credible elections. He was reacting to reports than another bomb had exploded at a polling unit in the Maidoki area in Maiduguri.
“There are some anti-social elements that want to derail the process of voting but they will not succeed; definitely we will conduct our elections”, Jonathan stated, even as he sympathised with the families of the victims of Friday’s bomb attack on INEC office in Suleja, Niger State.
INEC’s Arrangement Excellent – Buhari
Clad in a white babariga with a cap to match, the APC presidential candidate, Gen. Mohammadu Buhari arrived at the Sarkinyara ward A, Kaafar Baru 0003 polling unit, Daura, Katsina State, to the hailing of a tumultuous crowd.
He was accredited at exactly 9:30am. Security personnel had a hectic time controlling the surging crowds as they made desperate attempts to catch a glance of him.
He expressed happiness over what he described as excellent arrangement put in place by INEC for the presidential poll.
“From what I have seen on ground here indicates the electoral body has really brace,” he said.
“I think I’m satisfied with the whole process so far. Let me use this opportunity to call on my supporters to remain calm and conduct themselves in the most peaceable manner throughout the elections,” he added.
Buhari promised that his administration would run an all-inclusive government if he emerges victorious at the polls. According to him, his administration would operate in such a way that everyone’s interests would attended to irrespective of party differences.
INEC Website Hacked, Restored
Hours into yesterday pre-voting accreditation exercise, INEC’s website was hacked into by a group that paraded itself as Nigerian Cyber Army, which warned INEC against rigging the election.
The hacking was confirmed by INEC on its Twitter handle, @inecnigeria.
“We are aware of the recent hack of our @inecnigeria website; we are currently investigating this incident #NigeriaDecides.”
The website was later restored at about 2pm, LEADERSHIP Sunday learnt.
Elections Continue Today
INEC yesterday declared that elections would be held today in all polling units where the card readers failed and could not be replaced in the course of the election.
The commission, which also admitted the challenges posed by the use of Smart Card Readers (SCRs) in accrediting voters for the elections, however, directed polling officers to manually accredit voters where it is certified that the person presenting the card is the bonafide owner of the card.
INEC further blamed the late arrival of INEC ad hoc officials and election materials to some voting centres in the FCT, Abuja, on some problems it encountered with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).
Nevertheless, the commission said the entire process was successful.
The commission also confirmed the hacking of the INEC website but assured that its IT experts were able to restore it.
Dr Chris Iyimoga, chairman, INEC committee on publicity, at a press briefing in Abuja yesterday, said the commission had noted the challenges encountered in the use of the card readers, resulting in slow accreditation of voters.
Iyimoga, who noted that the commission experienced some challenges in some parts of the country, added that such challenges necessitated a review of the Electoral Act to address the need for shift of the voting today.
Iyimoga said, “The scale of the challenge that we have observed has necessitated the reconsideration of the elections guidelines. The commission has therefore decided that, as part of guidelines for the general elections, the polling units where the card readers have failed to work, the presiding officer shall manually accredit voters by marking the register of voters and being satisfied that the person presenting the permanent voters card is the legitimate owner of the card.
“Those notwithstanding, the polling units where accreditation was suspended to the following day in accordance to the electoral guideline, arrangements will be made for voters to vote tomorrow subject to the Electoral Act 2015, as amended.”
He gave the assurance that the commission would investigate why the device failed on such a huge scale nationwide, adding that “INEC remains committed to the delivery of fair and credible elections in spite of these challenges.”
He however said the number of states affected with regards to extension of election will be communicated soon.
He said, “We can’t say at the word go now. But each REC of the federation has been informed. The problems are not in all the states of the country but in a few states and each of them have been informed. We can only get the details at the end of the day.”
Speaking generally on election process in the FCT, Iyimoga said: “In the FCT, for instance, we had a problem with the NURTW but that was sorted out and I want to assure you of progress. I had to visit the office of the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the FCT and while there, two observer teams, including that of the US ambassador, were there to see us. And he had gone round some polling units and his assessment at that time, at about 12pm – and that 85 to 90 per cent of the polling units – he was very impressed and it cut across.
“That is not saying we didn’t have challenges. In a few other states of course there were still a few delays but generally the commencement time was quite good across board.”
1 comment:
INEC need to get things in place before making many move on use Card Reader.
Post a Comment