Candidate advocates for measures to enhance Card Readers

Alhaji Adamu Ahmad, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Jigawa North-East Senatorial candidate, has advocated for measures to enhance the INEC Card Reader, to ease voting process.

Ahmad made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Kafin-Hausa Local Government Area of the state.

Ahmad, who is also the speaker, Jigawa House of Assembly, said it was imperative to adopt new technologies that would make it function effectively in subsequent elections.

“The card reader is a welcome development. But the failure of the machine to function well is causing unnecessary delays in vote casting.

“The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should ensure that the machine is good to avoid repeating the mistakes in future election,” he said.

Ahmad said the malfunction of the card readers had resulted in delays of voter accreditation and extension of voting hours in most polling centres in the area.

The candidate also expressed joy at the peaceful conduct of the exercise in the area.

NAN reports that voting had extended to the early hours of Sunday at most polling centres in Kafin-Hausa, Guri and Malammadori local government areas.

Power generators sets and touch lights were used to assist hundreds of voters, who waited patiently on queues, to cast their votes.

Reacting to the development, Baba Isa, a voter, expressed dismay at the delays in the exercise, adding that he had been on the queue for over 12 hours.

Meanwhile, a polling officer, who asked for anonymity in Abunabo polling unit in Guri, said the failure of the card reader had exposed them to difficulties.