As the presidential election progresses into the second day, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reacted to the failure of the card readers to accredit President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Dame Patience Jonathan, in Otuoke in Ogbia local government area of Bayelsa state on Saturday.
Chief Olisa-Metuh, National Secretary PDP
The ruling party in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja by its national publicity secretary, Olisa Metuh, described the hiccup of the card reader in accrediting its presidential candidate at Otuake Ward as a huge national embarrassment.
The party noted that governors Jonah Jang, of Plateau, James Ngilari of Adamawa and Isa Yuguda of Buachi, among others, also experienced similar hiccups, and called for a thorough explanation from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The PDP stated that the poor working of the card readers in the March 28 presidential and National Assembly elections across the country could have been avoided.
The party said, this would not have been so if INEC had listened to sound advice from well-meaning Nigerians, organisations and the PDP regarding the deployment of the machines without proper testing.
According to the statement, the last minute resort to manual accreditation by the INEC, hours into the elections against its earlier guidelines, clearly showed the failure of the system.
“The unfortunate development is a vindication of our earlier position that as good as the idea of card readers is, it was too virgin to be successfully used in a general election without proper testing. This is especially in an environment as ours that is not entirely digitally proficient,” it said.
The PDP expressed concern over the development following the unwavering commitment of the President Jonathan-led PDP administration to a hitch-free, fair and credible electoral process.
The party, therefore, tasked the electoral umpire to take urgent measures within the law, to make sure that no willing and qualified voter was disenfranchised.
It also called on Nigerians to remain calm in the overall interests of the nation, while it frowned at reported cases of accreditation of under-aged people in some states, especially in the Northern region of the country.
The PDP urged the INEC to ensure that such unqualified people were not allowed to vote, but also to prosecute its officials involved in the mischievous acts.
Meanwhile, in Shomolu area of Lagos state, electors have revealed what truly transpired in two polling units in the area following the failure of the INEC to make ballot papers available.
The PDP presidential campaign organisation on Saturday attacked the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Pro. Attahiru Jega, over the card reader machine glitches during the presidential and National Assembly elections, saying that Nigerians should hold the INEC boss responsible.
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