INEC says Card Reader test successful, admits 41% fingerprints failure

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has expressed satisfaction with Saturday’s field-testing of card readers, planned for use in validation of voters in the March 28 and April 11 general elections.

The electoral body said in a statement that the exercise, held in 12 states from the six geo-political zones of the country, was successful and will prove useful during the elections. It however acknowledged challenges in confirming finger prints.

The statement came amid controversies between the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which opposes the use of card readers during the polls, and the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, which backs the policy.
INEC says the cards will help combat electoral fraud.

The electoral body said it achieved 100 per cent success in its objective of verifying the authenticity of the Permanent Voter Cards presented by voters on Saturday.

On the biometric authentication of voters, INEC conceded that only 59 per cent of voters who turned out for the demonstration had their fingerprints successfully authenticated