Inec declares that only voters cast using smart card readers will be accepted on Saturday

NIGERIA'S Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) has declared that only members of the electorate whose permanent voters cards are accepted by Smartcard readers will be allowed to participate in this weekend's gubernatorial elections.

On Saturday March 9, Nigerians go to polls to elect 30 state governors and state houses of assembly members in all 36 states and in the Federal Capital Territory. On February 23, presidential and National Assembly elections were held amidst numerous complaints over the use of smart card readers, with some not functioning in several polling units.

There were also complaints about electoral fraud as some voters were allowed to vote without using the readers, which the opposition said boosted the ruling party vote in numerous states. Already, the main opposition the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is seeking legal redress, saying that the election results should be overturned because millions of votes were cast for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) without the use of smart card readers.

To avoid a repeat of such criticism, Inec has decreed that only voters who use the smart card readers will be allowed to exercise their franchise this weekend. Festus Okoye, the chairman of Inec's information and voter education committee, said smart card readers are mandatory in Saturday’s elections.

Mr Okoye said: “The use of the smart card readers is not only mandatory but its deliberate non use attracts the sanction of possible prosecution of erring officials in accordance with the Inec regulations and guidelines for the conduct of elections. This is in addition to the voiding of any result emanating from such units or areas, as was done in the presidential and national assembly elections of February 23.

“The general public and all officials engaged for the elections are hereby informed that the commission is not reconsidering the use of these smart card readers which has greatly improved the credibility of our elections and instilled a high level of public trust in them. To clear any doubt or ambiguity, we wish to state that the deployment and mandatory use of smart card readers in next Saturday’s elections will not only be uniformed but also universal and the provisions of the regulations and guidelines will be strictly and vigorously enforced."