INEC asked to provide data of card readers data ‘within seven days’

Enough is Enough (EiE) Nigeria, a non-government organisation,
has sent a freedom of information request to the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the usage data of card
readers during the February 23 presidential and national assembly
elections.

In a letter dated March 8, 2019 and signed by Seun Akinyemi, a
research associate at EiE, the organisation specifically requested
a breakdown of card reader usage state by state for polls.

The information, which it says INEC is mandated to provide
within seven days according to the FoI law, should reveal the
number of voters who were fully accredited via PVC verification and
biometrics and also those who were partially accredited.

Akinyemi, who directed the letter to Mahmood Yakubu, a professor
and chairman of INEC, said EIE is a non-partisan network of
individuals and organiaations “committed to building a culture of
good governance and public accountability in Nigeria through active
citizenship”.

The research associate wrote: “Transparent electoral process is
an essential condition to achieve good governance. Card reader has
been adopted as means of accreditation for voting since the 2015
general elections.

“The card reader was also adopted as a means of accreditation
during the 2019 elections with the slogan ‘No PVC, No Voting’.

“The accreditation process for the 2019 Presidential and the
National Assembly elections has been the subject of intense public
debate.

“Therefore, it is critical to study the accreditation patterns
across the country to ensure the integrity of our electoral
process.”

The letter was stamped received by the office of the INEC
chairman on March 8.

According to INEC figures, 82,344,107 Nigerians registered to
vote in the 2019 general election, out of which 82,002,024 were
verified while a total of 72,775,585 voter cards (PVCs) were
issued.

The commission also said 29,364,209 voters were accredited to
vote on February 23, out of which 27,324,583 cast valid votes and
1,289,607 were rejected.

President Muhammadu Buhari (APC) had 15, 424,921 votes and Atiku
Abubakar (PDP) 11,262,978 — a difference of 3.9 million.

However, the PDP is disputing the figures and Atiku has decided
to challenge the outcome in court.

The accreditation by card readers is considered to hold the key
to the actual number of valid votes.

Nigeria Immigration Service Arraigns Passports
Racketeer

The Nigeria Immigration Service has arraigned Mr. Kenneth Aniebo
for alleged Passport racketeering at Federal High Court Abuja today
10th day of March, 2019.

Mr. Kenneth Aniebo aka “Ambassador” specializes in forging
documents to procure official passport for persons who are not
entitled to the said document. He was apprehended with five
Nigerian Official passports which he procured for some business men
last year.

He was subsequently arraigned in court by the legal Unit of the
Service on a 3 count charge of conspiracy, submission of false
information for the purpose of procuring passport for others and
forgery which are culpable offences under section 10 (c, e & f)
of the Immigration Act 2015. The Court has ordered that he be
remanded in Kuje Prison pending hearing of the case which was
adjourned for 28 May, 2019.

The Comptroller General of Immigration Service Muhammad
Babandede MFR uses this medium to advise the general public to
avoid patronizing unauthorized persons while seeking services from
the NIS.

SIGNED
DCI Sunday James pcc
Service Public Relations Officer
For: Comptroller General of Immigration