Ondo poll: INEC has enough card readers–REC

INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu

Mr Segun Agbaje, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Ondo State, says the commission has more than 250 spare smart card readers to replace those malfunctioning.

He said this on Saturday while speaking with newsmen at Unit 9, Ward 2, Gbogi/Isinkan in Akure South Local Government Area of the state on the sidelines of the accreditation and voting process for the governorship election.

There had been complaints of malfunctioning card readers in some polling units in the state.

“I have called the Head of Department of ICT to get smart cards for areas with smart card challenges and very soon they will get them.

“Card reader is not a major challenge because it can be addressed within 10 to 20 minutes; we have over 250 smart card readers for exchange in case of malfunction.

“I believe more people are still coming and the election is going on smoothly across the state,’’ he said.

He further said that the challenge faced by those whose names were not on the list but have PVCs would be addressed by the ICT Department soon.

Describing the electoral process as very impressive, he said the report emerging from the Election Monitoring System Operating Room at the commission’s Abuja headquarters was positive.

No fewer than 1,280,580 voters with Permanent Voter Cards would decide who the governor would be out of the 28 contestants in Saturday’s governorship election.

Although 1,659,186 voters were registered for the election, 378,606 did not collect collect their PVCs.

Among the major contestants are Mr Eyitayo Jegede of the PDP, Chief Rotimi Akeredolu of the APC, Dr Olu Agunloye of the Social Democratic Party and Olusola Oke of the Alliance for Democracy.

Others include the candidate of the Accord Party, Mr Oladare Amuda, Mr Yinka Orokoto of the Action Alliance, the candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria and Chief Adetuwo Ogunjumelo.