*Card readers violate Electoral Act-Ndoma-Egba
The senate has invited chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Professor Attahiru Jega to appear before it on Wednesday morning over the postponement of the February general elections.
The decision was arrived at after a motion on the matter was raised by senate leader Victor Ndoma-Egba (PDP, Cross Rivers) praying the House to as a matter of urgency invite the INEC boss to brief them in plenary.
In his motion which came under matters of urgent public importance, Ndoma-Egba had argued that Jega had a week before the postponement assured Nigerians that the commission was ready to conduct the election until the security issue was raised by the service chiefs.
The lawmaker maintained that deployment of card readers by INEC to accredit voters was contrary to section 52 of the Electoral Act 2010 and that it was necessary that senators get briefed adequately by Jega in plenary.
‘It is necessary that Jega brings the card readers here to demonstrate how it works to us,” he said. However, senate minority leader George Akume (APC, Benue) contended that whereas he was not against Jega’s summon, it was also important that the senate invites the service chiefs who compelled INEC to shift the polls due to their inability to provide security.
“INEC has said it was ready until the issue of security was raised by the service chiefs. They should therefore come here and tell us why they failed to provide security for just a day or two exercise,” Akume argued.
Mark then asked senators to come alone with their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) on Wednesday by 11am to enable them test the card readers.
Sources in the National Assembly said that both senate and House of Representatives caucuses of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) held a meeting on Monday night in Abuja where both the senate leader and his House counterpart briefed senators on the opposition of the PDP and the presidency to the deployment of card readers to conduct the election.
Source: Daily Trust
