Edo 2020: Card Readers fail to authenticate fingerprints in Esan West, Central

The Card Readers provided for the Edo Governorship election to authenticate fingerprints of voters in Esan West and Esan Central Local Government Areas of Edo on Saturday failed to recognise some voters.

Correspondents of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), who monitored the election in the areas, report that while the Card Readers easily identified the voter cards, they failed to authenticate their fingerprints.

• Edo Polls: Why It Matters
• D-Day: Anxiety As 1.7m Edo Voters Elect Governor

This anomaly was noticeable at polling units in Ward 5 (Uhunmudumu Primary School), and units 14, 15 and 16 (Emado Primary School) in Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area.

The same was applicable in units 5 and 6, Ward 6 (Idumebo Primary School), in Esan Central Local Government Area.

However, NAN reports that the voters were still allowed to vote after the cases were incidented on INEC form after which the voters were made to thumb print in the form.

Meanwhile, Mr Victor Edoro, a politician in the area and an ex-commissioner in Edo, Mr Gideon Obhakhan, have described the exercise as impressive.

They described the voting process as peaceful and orderly, with compliance to COVID-19 Pandemic containment protocols.

Edoro, who voted at his voting centre in Idumebo Primary School, Irrua, Esan Central Local Government Area, described the voting process as “peaceful and hitch free.”(NAN)