The Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) has thrown its weight behind the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, over the planned use of card reading machine for the 2015 general elections.
The group made its stand known in a statement issued on Sunday by its national publicity secretary, Mr. Osita Okechukwu.
The CNPP noted that “The mock test of the Magnetic Card Reader, by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), even if the picture is the only identification matrix; has further emboldened and reinforced our resolve to adopt the device as the best device to avoid mangling and manipulating the electoral process.
“INEC should take note of the few lapses noted and improve on the device, so as to engender free, fair and transparent election. This will put paid to those who would want to repeat in Medical School after failing.
“We are making this declaration because in the absence of genuine reason, we adopt a device which has been used to conduct free, fair and transparent elections in many countries like the US, UK, Brazil, Ghana, and the 2014 Indian general elections, an election where 600 million Indian voters voted seamlessly”.
The group added that, “It is regrettable that those who few years back, declared that telephone is not for the Nigerian poor are behind the call for the rejection of Magnetic Card Reader technology for accreditation of Nigerian Voters.
“We had thought that the lesson today that both the groundnut seller and the rich are using telephone, is enough lesson on adaptation of new technology to advance our electoral process which in the past was marred by irregularities.
“CNPP concurs with the valid evidence that the use of Magnetic Card Reader for accreditation of voters will minimize if not eradicate ballot- box snatching, dumb printing of ballot papers and snatching of result sheets”.
“We are, therefore, at a loss why the largest party in Africa – Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – a party that has ruled our dear country for the last sixteen years is jittery, and enveloped with hysteria over the use of the Magnetic Card Reader to advance our electoral process.
“To worsen matters, the PDP is desperately recruiting other political parties in this ignoble, undemocratic and unpatriotic onslaught on the nerve of our fledgling democracy.
“Accordingly, we take exception to our membership political parties that are wittingly or unwittingly against the deployment of Magnetic Card Reader, hence threatening the survival of our fledgling democracy and by extension the corporate existence of our dear country.
“We have anxiously noted the nefarious, unethical and undemocratic agitations of some political parties in league with the PDP to either the removal of Professor Attahiru Jega or dumping of Magnetic Reader for no just cause.
“Penultimate week they canvassed with the PDP for postponement of the 14th February presidential elections and it was granted, yesterday they headed for court, asking that Magnetic Card Reader should be discarded and today they are not only canvassing for another postponement, but querying the technical competence of the Card Reader and Jega’s head.
“The mock test invalidates their weak argument. May we ask, if the PDP leadership is sure of victory, will they have called for postponement of the 14th February presidential election date and call for the suspension of Jega or the rejection of Magnetic Card Reader?
“Or is it morbid election-phobia stimulated in recognition of the core ingredient of election in liberal democracy, which is electoral referendum on the performance of the incumbent, which is making PDP jittery?
“In sum, the CNPP will eject membership political parties that engage in unethical and undemocratic agitation and embark on Mass Action, if either Jega is removed, Card Reader deleted or even the Temporary Voters Card added for accreditation”.
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