By Oye Chijioke.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governorship Candidate in Delta state Sen.Ifeanyi Okowa has lamented on the malfunctioning of the card reader in Aniocha North Local Government Area and other parts of the state.
Okowa, who voted at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Ward 2, unit 3 in Owa Alero, Ika North East LGA of the state, said the process was peaceful and smooth in his ward but the situation was not the same across board.
He said that he was worried about the reports reaching him from other parts of the state about the malfunctioning of the card reader.
“In my poling centre, I don’t have cause to complain people hundred out in large number and everything is moving on smoothly here.
“But the situation is not the same envy where else across the state, I have even gotten a lot of complain about that the card reader malfunctioning.
“I have got calls from Ndokwa East, Aniocha South and others that they were running out of incidence for for and I advised them to call on the electoral officials to provide the form,” Okowa noted.
He said that operations of the card reader had the capacity of reducing the number of vote because some persons may not have the patient to wait to fill the incidence form.
He said that the process could be subjected to manipulations when it comes to the using of the incidence form, adding that the INEC has some questions to answer.
“So, I cant say I am fully satisfy with the process because the PDP have called that the card reader have not been put to enough test and we are not opposed to using any electronic gadget but you need to be sure that it full proof.
“Where you have error margin beyond five per cent it is not good enough but from some centers from what we hear more than 40 per cent of people need to fill the incidence form, that brings a query to the effectiveness of the card reader,” Okowa said.
Also Mr Victor Nwaokolo, member representing the Ika Federal Constituency who is also retuning under PDP said the card reader held the his unit to ransom for more than three hours before accreditation commenced.
Nwaokolo voted in unit 1, ward 8 at Ikpekwu Primary School, Igbodo, Ika North East LGA of the state.
“The people turned out enmasse to perform their civic rights since 8am but the card reader held the process to a standstill for about three hours until the INEC official sent for the Information Technology (IT) man to come a fixed it.
“The voter turn out was massive but many people got discouraged, in the unit one, where I got accredited it took three hours before the IT man came and fixed the card reader.
“And some the voter had more challenges as the machine is not picking their PVCs at all and these are PVCs with the same units and wards, this set is different from those who’s PVCs are read but could not capture their finger prints.
“Yes they had to resort to incidence forms and you know it takes time and you also know there is a limit to the incidence for according to the electoral guidelines,” Nwaokolo said.
Meanwhile, Dr Cairo Ojougboh, PDP National Vice Chairman, South South, has called on the people to exercise patient with INEC to deliver a credible elections.
He made the call while performing his civic right at unit 2, ward 6, in Agbor, Ika South LGA.
He said that he had also heard the complain of the malfunctioning of the card reader but the process was peaceful and going on gradually.
“Nigerians have to be patient with INEC and ensure that they exercise their civic right peacefully,” he said.
Our Correspondent reports that though voting was still on going at various polling centre in the state as at the time of this report, the process was peaceful and the turnout was impressive.
