There are indications that the INEC
officials may go to their polling centres with generators to power the
batteries of the Card Readers when they go down, Emeka Ibemere reports.
The planned
use of new biometric voting technology in Nigeria’s general elections which holds
on March 28, and April 11 has become a troubleshooting one.
It’s
expected the every Nigerian voter is supposed to cast his permanent voter card,
which stores biometric information such as fingerprints and facial image.
At the polls, the voters will present their cards
and a voter card reader would verify their names on the voter roll and the
authenticity of the cards. But this novelty, first of its kind, has become
highly criticised.
The Card
Reader that the INEC is bent to adopt in next week’s election has its disadvantages
as well as its advantages. It was gathered that the battery life span of the
Card Reader lasts about six hours at 95 per cent full and this may have created
fears about the longevity of the device's battery life in an election that has
millions of voters throughout the country.
The battery
is a specialized battery and coupled with low power supply and lack of power in
some states of the country, there are indications the INEC officials may go to
their polling centres with generators to charge the batteries when they go down.
Moreso, are
the facts the in some remote areas, there may be no big shops that could sell
such batteries and even where there are such stores, the restriction of
movements and businesses during elections may results in not using card readers
in some areas.
Before now,
Nigeria had used the Automated Fingerprint Identification System all her polls.
In 2011, the system created a digital register to eliminate double voting, and
was not capable of verifying the identity of voters at the polling stations.
However, the Independent National Electoral
Commi8ssion, INEC, believes that these new Card Reader would bring additional
benefits, especially in preventing double votes and ballot stuffing.
According to
the Chairman of the INEC, it was designed to replace the old culture of identifying
electorates.
Observers
appraised the fact that the system is safer but raises fears because not many
countries in Africa have employed biometrics to verify voters’ identity on Election
Day.
It would be
recalled that in 2012, Ghana tried to use even more sophisticated system, and
equipped polling centres with fingerprint scanners. Kenya tried to do the same
in 2013, but the result was a spectacular disaster. According to experts, the population
of voters that Nigeria’s INEC must manage is much larger than the one in Ghana;
moreover, Ghana’s Electoral Commission is known for its strength,
professionalism and integrity.
Political
pundits in Nigeria in their argument said the introduction of biometrics would
not only reduce fraud and make elections rigging-free, but it would also make
contested election results and electoral violence less likely.
A recent
report by the Electoral Integrity Project found voter registration the third
most problematic component of the electoral process worldwide. According to the
report, almost every election is characterised with reliability of the voter
register, allegations of double voting and votes by under-ages and illegal
aliens.
The fears expressed by Nigerians in some
quarters were that the new technology could be misplaced. But the fact remains
that Card Reader if eventually introduction could help solve some problems,
such as double registration and double voting.
Martin
Okenwa said the use of Card Reader doesn’t entirely eliminate rigging in an
election. He said technology doesn’t offer solution for other electoral
malpractices and can even generate new problems. A report said with Card
Reader, a candidate that loses election cannot contest electoral results.
INEC had
claimed that the new reform in the voter registration and identification system
was intended to address the lack of trust among political parties, especially
rigging problems associated with election.
It would
also recalled that when Ghana used biometrics as an important way of restoring
the public’s confidence in the electoral process, after their controversial
2008 elections, when they first used it in 2012, their Electoral Commission had
to extend voting by one day following the failure of some verification
machines. Computer analysts and researchers told our correspondent that voting
machine breakdowns and had suspicious patterns.
The
insistence of the INEC boss to go ahead with card reader technology is causing
ripples in the polity, especially between the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP
and the strong opposition party, the APC. According to the PDP, who has consistently
opposed the use of card readers, the voter card readers would fail to work
properly, certainly possible in a country with frequent power cuts.
Meanwhile, Inter
Party Advisory Council (IPAC) marched around Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital
Territory (FCT), in a bid to educate the masses on election ethics. The Group
moved around to distribute election’s code of conducts, produced by the INEC to
citizens.
The council
spoke on the need for the INEC to ensure it provides enough card readers during
the polls. The council said in a press conference tagged “No PVC, No Election;
No Card Readers, No Election”, that the time for rigging in the country is over.
It would be
also recalled that the INEC had shown its readiness for forthcoming general
elections, by conducting a field test on card readers which was alleged to be a
failure.
PDP
Presidential Campaign Organisation and some political Parties had rejected the
use of card readers during the forthcoming general elections.
According to
them, the use of card readers is a ploy to disenfranchise citizens in the
coming elections. Meanwhile, a Federal High Court in Abuja, had refused an
application brought by four registered political parties, seeking to restrain
the INEC from using card readers in the conduct of the general elections.
The United
Democratic Party, Action Alliance, Allied Congress Party of Nigeria and
Alliance for Democracy, told the court through their counsel, Alex Izinyon,
that the proposed use of the card readers was contrary to the provisions of the
constitution, as well as the amended 2010 Electoral Act.
In the suit,
the political parties challenged the powers of the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) to introduce a process not specifically provided for in the
constitution, as it prepares for the rescheduled polls.
However, in
his ruling on the exparte motion, the trial judge, Justice Adeniyi Ademola,
noted that the political parties had shown that they had legal rights, showing
that the case is triable, but observed that the parties would not suffer any
irreparable harm if the electoral body is given the opportunity to be heard
before the interim orders being sought could be granted.
Meanwhile,
PDP has accused the All Progressives Congress, APC, of cloning Permanent Voters
Cards, PVC, ahead of the general elections.
The national
deputy chairman of the ruling party, Mr Uche Secondus, said that the rejected
PVCs during last weekend’s mock card reader’s exercise had substantiated what
the Department of State Services (DSS) said about the APC cloning of voter
cards in Lagos State, Nigeria’s commercial city in the south-west. The INEC had
subjected the card reader machines, which it planned to use in the forthcoming
elections, to test to see if the device could be trusted during the elections.
But the commission detected some cloned PVCs which failed to pass the card
reader test during last week’s exercise in Port Harcourt and Osun State.
While the
INEC was yet to officially announce its position on whether to go ahead with
the use of the device, several political pressure groups, including the PDP are
insisting that the errors recorded during the card readers’ test are too huge
to be neglected.
But the
spokesman for the APC, Mr Lai Mohammed, said the allegations were inanities and
that the party would not respond to such claims.
“As a government in waiting, we are busy
investing our time and energy finding solutions to the myriad of problems and
hardship occasioned by six years of President Jonathan’s failed
administration.” He advised Nigerians not to listen to PDP governors as most of
them, according to him, have nothing to offer the country again.
Recently, Department
of State Services (DSS) raided the APC’s office in Lagos, taking away materials
which it later said showed that there was an elaborate plan by the APC to
inflate its membership data ahead of the February 2015 general elections.
However, INEC,
allegedly expressed satisfaction with last week’s field-testing of card
readers, planned for use in validation of voters in the March 28 and April 11
general elections.
The
electoral body said in a statement that the exercise, held in 12 states from
the six geo-political zones of the country, was successful and would prove
useful during the elections. It however acknowledged challenges in confirming
finger prints.
The
statement came amid controversies between the rulings Peoples Democratic Party,
PDP, which opposes the use of card readers during the polls and the opposition
All Progressives Congress, APC, which backs the policy. INEC says the cards
will help combat electoral fraud.
The
electoral body said it achieved 100 per cent success in its objective of
verifying the authenticity of the Permanent Voter Cards presented by voters.
On the
biometric authentication of voters, INEC conceded that only 59 per cent of
voters who turned out for the demonstration had their fingerprints successfully
authenticated. However, the Commission allayed fears of disenfranchisement of
voters, saying provision for manual validation had long been put in place for
such cases.
“The
Commission, in agreement with registered political parties, had provided in the
approved Guidelines for the conduct of the 2015 elections that where biometric
authentication of a legitimate holder of a genuine PVC becomes challenging,
there could be physical authentication of the person and completion of an
Incident Form, to allow the person to vote,” the statement by spokesperson,
Kayode Idowu, said.
“The card
readers’ test showed the devices could help generate data essential for
research and planning purposes. The Smart Card Readers provide disaggregated
data of accredited voters in male/female and elderly/youth categories – a
disaggregation that is vital for research and planning purposes, but which INEC
until now had been unable to achieve. The demonstration on Saturday fully
served this objective”.
The
electoral body said the card readers were able to send data of all accredited
voters from polling units to the Commission’s central server, thereby checking
attempts at fraudulent alterations.
However, the
test-run in Ebonyi State would be repeated on as the state recorded that
highest number of cases of failed fingerprint validation.
The
Commission said it “took a serious view of the high rate of the SCRs’ failure
to authenticate voters’ fingerprints in some areas, particularly in Ebonyi
State, and has decided to thoroughly investigate the cause; as well as repeat
the public demonstration in that state.
“This
demonstration will be conducted in the particular Registration Area involved in
the last exercise, namely Izzi Unuhu (Abakaliki Local Government Area); as well
as in Ibii/Oziza Registration Area (Afikpo North LGA). The repeat demonstration
will be on Saturday, March 14th 2015.”
Despite the
failure of the card readers’ field test- run in some states, a coalition of
civil society organisations, Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, has thrown
its weight behind INEC on the use of card readers and permanent voter cards for
the forthcoming general elections.
The group
said its observation of test run showed that the exercise was highly
successful. Situation Room said the exercise passed integrity test and was
commendable.
“On the
basis of the test and assurances of improvement, Situation Room calls on the
full use and deployment of the Card Readers and PVCs for the 2015 Nigeria
general elections,” it said. “It observed that “the card readers functioned
properly with occasional connectivity issues and the verification process of the
PVC was almost seamless.”
The group noted
the fact that there were reports of delays and challenges in authentication of
fingerprints, but added. “However, people were asked to fill incident forms, which
did not stop them from being accredited but slowed the process”.
Situation
Room urged INEC to improve on areas where it had challenges in the course of
the Saturday’s mock election.
Situation
Room said INEC should improve on voter education and civic orientation;
biometric authentication process; transportation of electoral personnel, especially
in the rural areas; and issue of discrepancies of details on the PVC and the
card reader in a way that the Card Reader could be reconfigured in a timely
manner so as to avoid disenfranchisement of any voter.
It was
gathered that Lagos, Awka, Ado-Ekiti, Abuja, Abakaliki, Asaba, Minna, Port
Harcourt where test-run of the Smart Card Readers by the INEC in mock elections
conducted across selected states of the federation recorded marginal success,
as the exercise was tainted with technical hitches.
Reports from
the 12 states where the system was tested showed that, while the machine
operators did not arrive at the designated polling units on time, the
operations took quite some time, thereby causing a lot of delay.
Fortnights
ago, the field-testing of the Smart Card Readers were held in 225 polling units
and 358 voting points across 12 registration areas (wards) in 12 states of the
federation.
The wards
are in Port Harcourt City (Rivers); Abakaliki (Ebonyi); Ado Ekiti (Ekiti);
Gassol (Taraba); Kumbotso (Kano); Bunza (Kebbi); Kokona (Nassarawa); Shiroro
(Niger); Ikeja (Lagos); Aguata (Anambra); Oshimili South (Delta) and Jama'are
(Bauchi).
But, when
asked to comment on some of the hitches recorded during the mock election,
especially reports that 42 per cent of eligible voters were not cleared, Kayode
Idowu, Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Attahiru Jega, said:
"Record available to INEC indicates less."
Report from
Awka, the Anambra State capital, had it that the card readers were put to test
at Igboukwu Ward 1, Aguata local government of Anambra State, which has 22
polling units. INEC officials, who arrived the polling units as early as 7.00am
were disappointed that the electorate did not come out until about 8.30am.
It was
however observed that the efficacy of the card readers used during the exercise
was contested following the duration of time it took to accredit a voter.
Though the time varied, it took average of 10 seconds and 20 minutes for a
voter to receive accreditation.
Reports from
the field show that the card reader rejected the finger prints of the voters in
most cases, indicating 'verification failed.' This is after identifying the
permanent voters’ cards as being authentic.
Speaking
with journalists, the Anambra State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC),
Edwin Offor Nwatarali, attributed the inability of the machine to capture the
finger prints on time to greasy or dirty fingers of the voters.
Corroborating
this, the Senator representing Anambra South Zone, Andy Uba, who observed the
process, said the card readers were working perfectly and would help to conduct
a very credible election.
However,
Secretary of Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Anambra State, Isaac Onuka,
said the use of the card reader may mar the election. He called on INEC to
return to the manual ways of accrediting voters as the use of the card reader
may lead to confusion and delay in the process. Chris Azor of the Civil Society
Observation Room wondered why INEC should use the card readers now. "In
most cases, people had to scrub their hands on the ground just to ensure that
the machine recognises their finger prints", Azor said.
However, the
All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State described as successful test-run
of card readers by INEC. APC Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatubosun, said in a
statement that the exercise in Ado-Ekiti allayed the fear of failure of the
machine during accreditation, noting that the result achieved through the
technology marked the end of over-voting and impersonation problems that dented
the credibility of the nation's electoral process leading to litigations that
tasked contestants' finances.
Former
Commissioner for Tourism under ex-Governor Kayode Fayemi's government, Ayodele
Jinadu, and ex-Chairman, Ado Ekiti Local Government, Sunday Ibitoye, described
the exercise as a huge success, which cannot be easily compromised by poll
riggers.
On the
contrary the PDP said the result of the test-run of the card readers has proved
that the challenges attached to the use of the equipment is enormous and
therefore cannot be used for the election as it is.
PDP National
Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, in a statement, said that field reports
showed that myriads of problems showed up at various centres, confirming its
(PDP's) apprehension that the technology cannot be deployed now.
According to
him, series of lapses recorded at across the states where the test run were
carried out include, but not limited to "non-verification of voters'
fingerprints even after authenticating their PVCS; slow accreditation process
as a result of poor internet server operations in some locations; and apparent
inadequate knowledge of the card readers by both INEC officials and
voters".
"The
worrisome fall-out from the test vindicates earlier widespread calls by
stakeholders that the card readers should be thoroughly tested to ascertain
their workability for free, fair and credible elections before being deployed
for the actual polls," Metuh stressed.
Anayo Chukwu
told Newswatch Times on phone that he watched the exercise, and that it took
about 30 minutes and in some cases, more was to be done.
According to
Chukwu, the Card Reader proved its efficiency only during verification, which
is done within a minute but added that major challenge posed by the card reader
was that it did not recognise the fingerprints of people who registered during
the 2011 general elections.
He said the card readers are recognising only
those who registered recently and those whose fingerprints couldn’t recognise
were those who registered in 2011.
At Nkaliki
Echara Primary School 003, the registration officer, Iheanyi Okiyi, expressed
worry over the delay experienced by the Card reader to carry out authentication
of PVCs belonging to voters in the polling unit.
In Delta
State, stakeholders expressed mixed reactions over the mock testing of the
smart card readers. The exercise was conducted in Ward 04 comprising 14 units
spread across Asagba Primary School and Niger Mixed Secondary School, Asaba in
Oshimili South Local Government Area of the state, which has a total of 3,624.
Although,
there were incidents of failed attempts in capturing biometrics of prospective
voters, the exercise was generally successful, as it took a maximum of 30
seconds to accredit one voter.
The state
Commissioner for Justice, Charles Ajuyah, who represented Governor Emmanuel
Uduaghan, lauded the exercise, but urged INEC to work on the machines to
eliminate incidents of failure of biometric capture on Election Day.
In Lagos the
mock election accreditation exercise held in Onigbongbo ward, Ikeja local
government area of Lagos State
The process
was hitch-free across the 50 polling points pencilled for the testing of the
smart card readers, however, the voters turn out was poor. However, the timing
of accreditation and verification through the smart card readers experienced a
few hitches.
INEC REC in
Lagos, Tunde Orebiyi, told journalists after the exercise that the
demonstration of the workings of the smart card reader is a new technology
aimed to improve accreditation and electoral process.
"The
smart card reader is able to recognise INECs PVC there is none that has been
presented today that was not genuine, that is the first measure.
In
Portharcourt, Udensi, who was at the State Primary School, Orominike stated
that though there were some minor challenges in the exercise, it would not
affect the use of the items during the elections. Also, an INEC staff at Units
4, 5, 6 and 7 in Orominike State Primary School, said the card readers were
hanging while trying to authenticate eligible voters' data.
It was
reported that in Niger State, 42 percent of eligible voters with PVCs were not
cleared by the card reader machines. According to INEC in the state, only 52
per cent were cleared as authentic.
The National
Commissioner INEC, Chris Eyimoga, disclosed the figures from the 18 polling
units in Gwada ward, Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, adding
however that a total number of 10, 243 persons are registered voters with only
1,799 authenticated by the card reader.
PDP governors
said they are opposed to the use of the machine because it has proved to be
ineffective and a burden to the accreditation process.
The
governors vowed to scuttle any attempt by the INEC to use the devise in the
March 28 and April 11 elections.
In Abuja the
Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) expressed its support for the
use of Card Reader for accreditation of voters in the 2015 general elections. Mr
Osita Okechukwu, CNPP National Publicity Secretary in a statement noted that
the mock test of the Card Reader conducted by the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC), had further emboldened and reinforced its resolve
to adopt the device.
It, however,
urged INEC to take note of the `few lapses’ observed during the test and
improve on the device to engender free, fair and transparent elections.
"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."
The
statement said that CNPP concurred with valid evidence that the use of the Card
Reader for accreditation of voters would minimise if not eradicate snatching of
ballot box. It added that the device would also minimise thumb printing of
ballot papers and snatching of result sheets.
"Accordingly,
we take exception to political parties that are wittingly or unwittingly
against the deployment of Magnetic Card Reader," the statement said.
Investigations
showed that such card readers could as well be snatched like they do with ballot
box.
A former Deputy National Chairman of the
People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, urged the INEC to ensure
there are enough card readers as back-up per polling unit in case of failure.
"It is
brilliant to come up with the card reader. But INEC must come up with two,
three or four systems per polling unit as back up instead of saying people will
vote the next day in areas where it fails. There are millions of polling units
across the nation which means millions of untested card readers for the
Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs). Asking people to come back the second day may
lead to chaos”, he stated.
"We
must also envisage what may happen if the machine fails to read people’s cards.
All these must be taken into consideration in order to avoid crisis”.
The PDP
chieftain noted that if the cards were swiped and did not work, it could spark
off the violence that Nigeria wanted to avoid at all cost.
"This
election will be the first after our 100 years as a nation. We must guarantee
that it works. Nigeria cannot afford any experimentation at this stage. What I
have just explained is logical and not partisan. Those making the card reader
issue a partisan issue must remember that the nation's continued unity must
come before our individual interests”, he stated.
"This
was similar to the controversy that trailed the postponement of the election.
If Nigeria had gone to election on February 14, millions of Nigerians would
have been disenfranchised. This election will define the future of this country".
Former
Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, also threw his weight
behind the use of card readers for the upcoming general election. Babangida, in
a statement by his media office, said the card reader was a novel innovation
worth trying. He heaped praises on the Independent National Electoral
Commission for bridging the technological gap in the country. He said in the
statement: “We must appreciate the creativity and innovation of the card reader
which INEC has introduced to make for better election credibility and
transparency. In a digital world where almost everything is driven by
technology, the offer of the card reader is a welcome development. We may not
get to the fullest merit of this, but it is a good way to start. This is one
way to bridge the technological gap between those developed and under-developed
nations of the world. Let us repose confidence in the system in the interest of
the unity of our great country.”
“Let me state in emphatic terms that Professor
Attahiru Jega and his colleagues in INEC have to be encouraged, motivated,
animated and commended for the sheer courage and determination they have shown
thus far in their preparations for the March 28 and April 11 elections. They
have demonstrated their sense of patriotism in a manner that underscores their
readiness for the elections and love for country. Rather than condemnation,
they deserve our commendation...”
A card
reader is a data input device that reads data from a card-shaped storage
medium. The first were punched card readers, which read the paper or cardboard
punched cards that were used during the first several decades of the computer
industry to store information and programs for computer systems. Modern card
readers are electronic devices that can read plastic cards embedded with either
a barcode, magnetic strip, computer chip or another storage medium.
Alternatively
referred to as a media card reader, a card reader is also hardware device that
lets you read and write data on a memory card such as a multimedia card. Some
card readers only have one card slot, and some have multiple card slots for
different cards and media. These cards use encryption and authentication
technology which is more secure. The microprocessor chip embedded at the heart
of the smart card requires contact to the card reader and certain areas of the
chip can be programmed for specific industries.
The cards can
be used for identification to prevent fraud to ensure the right person is votes.
It is used to identify who have been given PVC permits. This has the potential
to reduce electoral fraud.
When used
correctly for identification purposes, they make the jobs of law enforcement
and INEC easy.
