Fabmimi News
News and Gist Blog in Nigeria,
Saturday, March 28, 2015
"Card Readers" We Have Been Vindicated-PDP
The Peoples Democratic Party has said that reports of challenges with the use of voter card readers across Nigeria have vindicated its opposition to the deployment of the device.
While card readers functioned smoothly at various voting centres during Saturday’s presidential and national assembly elections, there were complaints from many centres about slow or completely dysfunctional machines.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, authorised the use of manual verification of voters after several complaints.
The PDP, which had opposed the use of card readers for the elections, said the development has justified its argument against card readers.
The party’s Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, told PREMIUM TIMES the ruling party had been vindicated.
“It was only the PDP that raised the issue of the challenges we might have with card readers. We said INEC should rectify or discard the card readers.
“When we raised these issues, people said we were being alarmist and opposed to the card readers. Now the election is going on and there are challenges with the card readers all over the country,” he said.
He added that as things stand, PDP was only concerned about “free, fair and credible election”.
“All we want is for this election to be free, fair and credible. If anyone rigs this election, it would be obvious to Nigerians.”
The Peoples Democratic Party had led other groups and individuals to pose stiff opposition to the use of the card readers for the elections.
Source: Premium Times
Army Restricts Rotimi Amaechi's Movement.
The Nigerian military has restricted the Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, from moving around different polling units in the state.
Mr. Amaechi, who drove himself in a black 4WD, was stopped by the Essien Essien, the Brigade Commander of the second Brigade, Bori Camp in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
In a heated argument, the governor asked the brigade commander to arrest him if necessary as he was determined to drive back to the government house having finished his accreditation.
Mr. Amaechi said he had asked that someone calls him once the voting materials are ready at the unit.
Female INEC official Dies In Benue
A female adhoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, (name withheld) and a commercial motorbike operator were reportedly killed on Saturday morning, along the Obussa-Ebonyi road, in Oju local government area of Benue state.
It was learnt that the INEC staff had boarded the motorbike to Oju town where she was posted for election duties when she, alongside the bike operator, met their untimely death.
According to the source,”they were riding on top speed at about 7:45 when the front part of the motorbike suddenly pulled of leading to the fatal accident and the instant death of the INEC staff.
“Though the bike rider survived after sustaining seriously injuries he later died before receiving medical attention.”
Reacting to the development, the Public Relations Officer, PRO, of INEC in Benue state, Mr. Louis Ochai confirmed that the deceased official was an adhoc staff who was moving to her place of assignment when the accident occurred.
“We have already sent people there to give us a detailed report on the matter for further action.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Assistant Superintendent, ASP, Austin Ezeani who confirmed the incident said the victims were on election duty when they met their untimely death.
“I also want to state that aside this accident, we have not recorded any ugly incidents in the state, so far it has been a peaceful exercise in Benue state.”Ezeani said.
INEC Cancels Elections In 14 Polling Units In Plateau State.
The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Plateau state, Dr. Godwin Kwanga, said on Saturday that there will be no election in 14 polling units in the state because the names of the voters there “did not reflect on the register”.
“We don’t have any registers to take there,” Kwanga said in an interview with our correspondent. He explained that a technical issues occurred twice and voters there will not be able to vote.
There were four of such polling units in Jos North, four in Jos South and about four in Kanam and elsewhere, he said.
Apart from those ones, in Jos North, several voters were still expecting to see either INEC officials or election materials there at 1:00 pm. Tension was rising in several of the polling units, the Commissioner of Police said.
The REC said that everyone who was in the queue before one pm would be accredited and voting would last as long as the last person in the queue votes.
In other parts of Plateau and especially in Jos, voting was going on smoothly with few itches. The card readers could not identify the finger prints of many voters even after reading their cards and in some cases, electoral officers did not know how to use them, Kwanga said.
Voters around INEC head office in Miango Road in Kufang stood patiently waiting to be accredited. Elsewhere in the state capital, things seemed to be going on normally.
Although a tension prone state, accreditation was going on peacefully in most parts of the state. Our correspondents saw long queues in Jos, an indication that the turnout would be huge despite some challenges.
INEC Website Restored.
It will be recalled that the website of the Independent National Electoral Commission was hacked by a group that parade itself as Nigerian Cyber Army. The hacking was confirmed by INEC on its Twitter handle, @inecnigeriauf
PDP Agent Arrested In Ikorodu With Spy Cameras.
P.M. NEWS authoritatively reports that one of the agents of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP in Igbogbo area of Ikorodu Division (name withheld) has been arrested with a spy camera.
Our correspondent gathered that the cameras, which were in form of sunglasses and ball point pens, were discovered by the security operatives attached to the area.
Worries have also been raised by the electorates and other observers on ground that the PDP agents in other parts of the state may be in possession of the spy cameras in a bid to contravene election rules.
Meanwhile, agents of the All Progressives Congress, APC in booth 001 in Ikorodu were sent out of the polling booth because of an absence of identification tags.
P.M. NEWS Correspondent on ground confirmed that some of the agents had letters confirming their status, but the officials would have none of that as the agents were supposed to come with an Identification.
Also, in Cele area of Ikorodu Division, party agents were without identifications and were also sent out of the polling areas as the law stipulates.
As at 10:30 am, accreditation had not commenced in a lot of places in Ikorodu as some of the smart card readers for the accreditation had not been programmed for the process.
All the card readers in Aga and Borokini areas have also been confirmed to be redundant as they have refused to identify a single PVC, thus slowing down the pace of accreditation in the area.
2 Die As Boko Haram Attacks Polling Unit In Gombe State.
Vanguard has reported that two people were killed in a suspected Boko Haram attack on polling stations in northeast Nigeria on Saturday, residents and an election official told AFP.
The attacks happened in the villages of Birin Bolawa and Birin Fulani in the Nafada district of Gombe state, which has been repeatedly targeted by the Islamists.
An election official, who requested anonymity, said: “We could hear the gunmen shouting, ‘Didn’t we warn you about staying away from (the) election?'”
Breaking News.Inec Website Hacked By Nigeria Cyber Army.See What the site looks like now.
This is what PM news posted about the hacking...
The hackers introduced themselves as “StruCk By Nigerian Cyber Army | TeaM NCA”
The statement on the website read: “Sorry xD Your Site has been STAMPED by TeaM Nigerian Cyber Army FEEL SOME SHAME ADMIN!!”