Jonathan Urges INEC To Improve On Card Reader Machines …Dicksons Criticizes Late Voting

Kogi State Governor-elect, Mr Yahaya Bello (left), with a former Speaker of the State House ofAssembly and a one-time acting governor of the state, Mr Clarence Olafemi, during a congratulatory visit to the Governor-elect in Lokoja, yesterday.

The Former president of
the federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr.Goodluck Jonathan has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to review the issues surrounding the usage of the card readers and permanent voters card (PVC).before the next general elections.
Jonathan stated this shortly after the card reader machine initially failed to recognize him at his home town Otuake in the last Saturday Governorship Bayelsa state elections.
The former president said the rate of complain about the card reader was high and dis-comforting, adding that the Electoral body needed to review and solve the issues before the 2019 general elections.
On his part, the Governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party,(PDP) Seriake Dickson said the card reader seem to be creating more problems instead of solutions in the system
Dickson who is also the incumbent Governor of Bayelsa State lamented the bungling of the governorship election held on Saturday in the state.
According to him, ” Apart from widespread cases of violence, accreditation of voters started late and the card reader failed in many places, including failing to recognize the governor’s fingerprint as well as those of his wife and mother.
The Tide learnt that voting started late at about 3:50 pm in polling units in Dickson’s home local government, Sagbama. The more than two hours delay was caused by the slow speed of card readers deployed in the area by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The Governor however commended the people of Bayelsa for their tolerance and regretted the lack of resolve of security forces to provide adequate security cover for the poll in the election