2015: INEC to introduce technology for voters identification

Ahead of the 2015 general election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Friday said it had concluded arrangements to deploy a technology that will identify and authenticate voters on election day.



INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, also said the Commission was working hard to perfect its election day logistics.

The INEC Chairman said that the electoral body had taken delivery of a greater portion of the Permanent Voters Cards (PVC).

INEC, Jega further said, would start issuing the PVC to registered voters from next year.

He spoke during a workshop on media and commuication strategy for INEC information personnel and press corps in Abuja.

Jega, who was represented by Dr. Nuhu Yakubu, a commissioner in the Commission said, “as we count down to the next general election in 2015, we are increasingly fine-tuning our work processes to ensure that we deliver elections that are free, fairer and more credible than we had in 2011.

“We have cleaned out the national register of voters after full consolidation and running of Automated Finger-print Identification System (AFIS), introduction of smart card technology to improve the accreditation of voters through rigorous voters identification and authentication process on election day.

“The Commission has so far taken delivery of a greater portion of these smart Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs), which we will begin issuing to registered voters from next year.

“We have concluded plans for the rollout of nationwide continous voters registration exercise, which will allow those who are not on the biometrics register at present to get captured.”

Jega further added: “We are working very hard to perfect our processes for election day logistics, so that we can ensure timely commencement of voting in all polling units and seamless collation procedures.”

Jega however observed that “ensuring credible elections is not a one-way street. It is not the task of INEC alone; rather, it is a multiple-stakeholder endeavor that requires collaboration and diligent commitment of other role players. In particular, the media and our information personnel have a lot of roles to play in civic enlightment, voter education and molding public perception of the electoral process.”