Lagos APC lauds INEC for successful trial of card reader

THE Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has lauded the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for the successful test running of the card readers for the 2015 general elections. The party said that the successful test-run of the card readers had vindicated INEC’s preparedness for a free and credible election while exposing those that oppose the card readers just because it would not allow them manipulate the election as they had done previous elections.

In a statement in Lagos, signed by the Lagos State Publicity Secretary of the party, Joe Igbokwe, the APC said that the success recorded across board in the trial of the card readers was enough to send those that were desperate to frustrate the use of card readers for the coming election back to the drawing board on the method to steal yet another election.

The party said that it believed that the use of card readers would frustrate those who had predicated their rouge political strength on manipulating elections, either by stealing voters’ cards or allotting themselves incredulous figures at every election to subvert the will of the Nigerian people.

It added: “We are elated that the INEC card reader has proved successful in tests carried out randomly across states of the federation. We note that besides the languid attempts by traditional election riggers to tarnish this important gadget aimed to stopping election rigging, the card reader is capable of instilling discipline and integrity in the coming election. Its success during the trial test has proved us right that those who are desperately fighting against its use are bereft of convincing reasons except that they desire for a shambolic system that allows them to take free advantage of every election for their selfish benefits. We see the success recorded at the trial test as vindication of not only INEC, but also all those who have stood solidly behind it as it fights those who see the card reader as an impediment to their effort to rig and manipulate the coming elections.

“We urge INEC to further sensitisation on some of the likely causes of hitches recorded with capturing finger prints of card users in some areas. We urge our members to avail themselves of the INEC sensitisation on this issue. We also urge them to ensure they are vigilant to ensure that those rejected by the card readers either because they have cloned PVCs or they stole or bought other people’s PVCs are not allowed to vote in any polling booth during the election.

“We applaud INEC on this wonderful device and urge it to ensure that the little shortfalls recorded at the trial period are addressed and the card readers further fortified to ensure that the votes of Nigerians are what decide who wins elections in the coming general poll.

“We congratulate INEC for its tenacity and doggedness in insisting on credible elections despite the antics of those that fear that a credible election stands to perforate their false political strength. We task INEC not to relent on its efforts to ensure that the coming election is a marked departure from previous shambolic elections where the most audacious riggers prevail. We are sure that with the full use of the card readers for the coming elections, all those that spent hugely in buying, stealing, stocking and cloning Permanent Voters’ Cards with a view to using them to rig the coming election, will be disappointed.”