The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has said that the commission has achieved 100 percent completion of the re-configuration of the Smart Card Readers (SCRs).
He spoke on Wednesday at the National Election Collation Centre located at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Abuja, while addressing stakeholders in his third briefing.
According to him, the Card Readers were introduced in the 2015 general elections to facilitate the accreditation of voters using the Permanent Voters Card (PVCs).
“They (SCRs) are configured to specific polling units and only open for use at 8am on Election Day. They automatically shut down by 10pm in order to forestall any illegal use before the appointed time of elections.
“I am pleased to report that we have now achieved 100 percent completion of the configuration. We are good to go on this score,” Yakubu said.
He said the commission’s state offices had commenced the process of inviting stakeholders to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to examine the retrieved materials deployed last week and to witness the batching of materials according to Local Government Areas (LGAs), adding that reports from the states indicated full compliance.
He said, “Similarly, I briefed you yesterday that having moved the sensitive materials to the 36 states and the FCT, the forward deployment to the 774 LGAs nationwide will commence today, Wednesday 20th February 2019 and be concluded tomorrow Thursday 21st February 2019.
“Already, Adamawa, Anambra, Benue, Ekiti, Jigawa, Katsina, Osun, Ogun, Oyo and Taraba states have commenced the movement of materials to LGAs today.
“Other states will do so and conclude tomorrow. We will give a full rendition of movement to LGAs across all states of the federation tomorrow.”
Yakubu said the commission has been making good progress on logistics adding that all other arrangements for the movements of personnel from the LGAs to the wards are on course.
