Some voters in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, have expressed their displeasure over what they described as inadequate preparation for the conduct of the elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Their angst was not unconnected to the failure of smart card readers to verify and authenticate the identity of voters at designated polling units.
At polling unit 020, FHA Karu, some voters, who spoke to our correspondent, decried the perceived disorderly way some ad-hoc staff of INEC carried out their duties.
Sarah Samuel, a voter who spoke with our correspondent, said: “We have gone through other processes of verification except for the smart card reader which malfunctioned. But that’s not even the issue. The problem is with the disorganized manner the election is being conducted at this polling unit.”
Another voter, Mike Odeyemi, said: “Some of our friends in other polling units have been accredited and have finished voting. However, at 12 noon, the smart card readers here have failed to function. I doubt if they really want us to vote?”
However, an official of INEC, who spoke under anonymity in a chat with DAILY POST, explained that the commission had noted the failures of smart card readers, and is working out alternatives to ensure no eligible voter is disenfranchised.
“Yes, one or two card readers at this polling unit have malfunctioned. We have notified the Senior Presiding Officer who promised to join us soon.”
On alternative plans to ensure voters are not disenfranchised, he said: “We have asked them (voters) to wait to be verified with the few other functional smart card readers at our disposal.
“But the bigger issue we are contending with is the lack of conducive environment for the voting exercise and the overwhelming turnout of voters.”
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