New Telegraph

INEC replaces 5,141 burnt card readers

Yakubu: We’ll conduct hitchfree poll in Ondo

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expressed its readiness to conduct credible and hitchfree poll in the October 10 governorship election in Ondo State. Already, 5,141 burnt card readers in the fire that engulfed parts of INEC office in Ondo State have been replaced and reconfigured ahead of the election.

Chairman of the commission, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, who made the disclosure, said that the success recorded in the Edo poll will be replicated in Ondo State. Yakubu, who stated this in Akure while speaking with newsmen during a three-day working visit to the state, said the visit is to have on-the-spot assessment of the level of preparedness of the commission for the election. Yakubu said: “We have already recovered some smart card readers. We unfortunately lost over 5,000 smart card readers to the fire incident.

We have, however, recovered by getting requisite number of smart card readers from neighbouring Oyo State. “They have already been delivered to Ondo State and that have been charged and configured and ready for the election on October 10 governorship election in the state.

“Importantly, we will use the Z-pads to upload results on election day real-time and we have moved those Z-pads from Edo to Ondo State for the election. “So, the same preparations that we made for Edo, we have also made for Ondo, so we are prepared for the election.”

Yakubu further explained that he was in the state to meet with the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Ambassador Rufus Akeju, and Heads of Departments ahead of the October 10 election in Ondo State. He also said the commission would organise an interaction session with all the stakeholders in the election, including traditional rulers in the state, to ensure the success of the poll. “This is the first visit. We are still coming back a week after for the main stakeholders’ visit and the signing of the peace accord,” he said.

It will be recalled that a section of the state INEC office was affected by a fire outbreak, burning about 5,141 smart card readers meant for the governorship election during the inferno. The cause of the fire incident was attributed to a faulty electrical connection after an investigation by the state police command.

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