The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has said the use of the card reader device will be strictly applied in Saturday’s Governorship and House of Assembly elections.
The Delta State Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Dr. Cyril Omorogbe, stated this in Asaba on Wednesday while addressing stakeholders ĺof the electoral process ahead of Saturday’s elections.
Dr Omorogbe noted that the non functionally of the card reader device in some polling centres across the state was an issue during the Presidential and National Assembly elections and blamed the development on sabotage and human error.
He said INEC had taken steps to avoid the mistakes of the previous elections, stressing that no one would be allowed to vote in the Governorship and House of Assembly elections with having his or her registration authenticated with the card reader.
Dr Omorogbe said the issue of non functional card reader would not arise in Saturday’s elections as back ups would be provided, adding that where the card readers failed on the election day, the election would be rescheduled for the next day.
The Delta REC warned that any electoral misconduct would attract appropriate sanction and advised politicians in the state to be wary of their actions and to prevail on their supporters to be of good conduct do as not to run foul of the law.
Dr Omorogbe said no political party should assume to be above the law and called on eligible voters, particularly the youth, to be peaceful and orderly at the polling centres rather than allow themselves to be used to truncate the electoral process.
He said the commission’s adhoc staff had been trained to smoothly drive the electoral process but noted that they would not succeed without the cooperation of the stakeholders.
The REC assured all of a level playing ground in the Governorship and House of Assembly polls.
On security, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Delta State Police Command , Mr. Salisu Fago, assured the stakeholders that the police would remain neutral throughout the electoral process and focus on safety of the electorate, INEC officials, adhoc staff and facilities as well as election observers.
Meanwhile, the attention chairman of the Inter Party Advisory Council IPAC, Mr Fred Obi, has appealed to politicians in the state to play by the rule and not heat up the polity.
Mr Obi who addressed newsmen shortly after the stakeholders meeting at INEC headquarters in Asaba, said in every contest there would always be a winner and a lose, stressing that it was unsportsmanly to go into an election with a mind set of winning or nothing.
He reminded the candidates for the March 9 election of the need to be guided by the overall interest of the people.
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