Home NEWS 2015 Poll President Jonathan Queries Himself As Card Reader Rejects Him

President Jonathan Queries Himself As Card Reader Rejects Him

Jonathan being accredited

“There may be an issue.  Maybe it’s me?” these are the words of President Goodluck Jonathan when the card reader, introduced for the first time in accreditation for election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) rejected him and his wife, Dame Patience as they turned out early today to get accredited for the ongoing election at his Otuoke home country.

The handheld technology being used to “read” biometric voter identity cards apparently malfunctioned and forced President Jonathan to stand around in the scorching heat before leaving almost an hour later.

The President acknowledged that “there may be an issue” and added jokingly: “Maybe it’s me?”

“If I can endure, you see my sweat? I plead with all Nigerians to be patient, no matter the pains we take,” he told reporters outside the polling station.

“It’s the first time we are using this technology, PVCs (permanent voters card), card readers,” he said, adding that he was “not worried.”

President Jonathan who later returned and was accredited using the old manual system said: “because it (the card reader) is new, anything new must have its challenges.”

Meanwhile, the main opposition candidate for the Presidency, General Muhammadu Buhari, whose party backs the technology, had no problem getting accredited in his hometown of Daura, in Katsina state.

Reports reaching us indicated that there were problems in the city of Kano, where tensions rose among thousands of voters who had been waiting for election officials and materials to turn up.

“We’ve been here since six o’clock and now it’s half-past nine,” fumed Ismail Omar, a 65-year-old builder. “No one has shown up from INEC.

“They told us accreditation will start at eight then end at one, and so far we think something is fishy. This is a deliberate attempt to sabotage the elections.”

Another voter, Mohammed Awwal, said: “We don’t want to fight anyone but are ready to die to defend our rights.

“This is our fundamental right that is being denied for whatever reason.” [myad]

 

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