Improving Card Reader Function Will Make Process More Credible – Ekechi

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The credibility of Nigeria’s election has been attributed to the use of the Smart Card Reader in the accreditation of voters across the nation.

While reviewing the presidential election won by the candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari, the Director of Electoral Planning and Monitoring of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Theodore Ekechi, said the use of the smart card removed chances of process manipulation.

On the day of the election, however, some smart card readers failed to function, leading to the inability of some voters with their Permanent Voters Cards to vote.

But Mr Ekechi said that the challenges witnessed were man made and antics employed by persons that wanted to scuttle the process.

Sacrifice Of Patience

“The fact that we have a card reader that did not function perfectly does mean it is not a good process. I think what we need to do is to improve on it.

“We can tell you that most of the problems encountered with the card reader were man made,” he said.

The APC member further stressed that despite the challenges, the use of the card reader technology was an addition that should be sustained and improved.

“The card reader improved the process and the credibility of the election. It made it impossible for people to manipulate the process.

“It created the sanity we have today and the fact is that we are going to have less court cases related to election.

“Every genuine democrat should make the sacrifice of patience that the use of card reader process demands,” he said.

On how the APC was able to win the heart of Nigerians, he said that the party understood that Nigerians needed change.

According to him, the party put together ‘wise men’ that saw the future, who were also able to see the change that Nigerians wanted.

“One of the main issues is corruption. It is the reason we have not been where we are supposed to be. There is general discontent in Nigeria.

“We came out with our own magic wand by choosing a candidate that cannot be ascribed with stupendous richness.

“We kept talking about strengthening INEC as an institution that should not be bias.

“The biggest challenge we have was being able to find out what changes Nigerians wanted and who could give the change.

“We knew the change was possible,” Mr Ekechi said.

He disagreed with the claim that persons that left the PDP gave the APC the victory, saying “it is an understatement and not fair to the APC as a political party”.