Bayelsa Governorship Poll: No Card Reader, No Voting – Yakubu

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Nigeria police have assured that they are ready for the conduct credible governorship election in Bayelsa State on Saturday.

The national chairman of the INEC,Prof Mahmood Yakubu, said the commission has put necessary arrangements needed to conduct free and fair poll despite the allegations by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the plot by the All Progressive Congress (APC) to rig the elections.

The INEC boss added that no voter would be allowed to vote without accreditation through the card reader.

Yakubu,who spoke yesterday to journalists in Yenagoa during a visit to the state command of the police and the stakeholders’ meeting held between the political parties and INEC,said the commission has delivered 52, 000 permanent voter cards for the remaining local government areas of Sagbama,Yenagoa,Southern Ijaw and Kolokuma/Opokuma.

Yakub said the commission would ensure that no Bayelsa voter was disenfranchised in the coming election.

He said, “Whether you are living along the coastline or upland in Bayelsa and you are a voter, you will not be disenfranchise in the coming poll.we will have a credible poll.

On the controversy surrounding the supply of permanent voters cards to come local government areas of the state and the calls on the use of Card Readers during the poll, Yakubu said though the delay on the supply was regrettable,” the supplementary voters card totalled 52,000 have been supplied this morning and handed over to the Resident Electoral Commission. And we will discuss with the stakeholders on a suitable and effective way of distribution.”

Yakubu however insisted that the commission will ensure that card readers are used during the poll and incident forms allowed where proper verification of voters are done.

“The card readers have passed all verifiable test and challenges.We have insisted that no card reader,no voting. But where incident forms will be used,we have instructed that the voters should be verified through provision of passport photograph and it tallies with picture on the voters card.”