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INEC chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega on Wednesday, appeared before members of the senate to defend the commission’s decision to use card readers for verification for the March 28 and April 11 elections.
He spent more than five hours briefing the senate and demonstrating how the card reader works.
According to him, card readers will help check electoral fraud perpetrated by politicians in connivance with INEC staff at polling booths.
The INEC boss, who quoted relevant sections of the 1999 constitution and the Electoral Act 2010, argued that INEC did not go outside of the law with the introduction of card readers for the purpose of voter accreditation, adding that “neither the constitution nor the electoral act prohibits the use of the card reader”
He also told the senators that 75% of eligible voters have collected their PVCs, adding that more will definitely do so before March 28.