Senate moves to legalise use of card readers during elections

Chika Ebuzor 03:31 - 18 March 2016

The Senate chambers

Kaura said it was important to legalise the use of the card readers, following various pronouncements by the courts, saying the device was unknown to law.

The controversy surrounding the admission of card readers as evidence in election tribunals, might soon be a thing of the past.

Punch reports that a bill sponsored by

The bill is titled: A Bill for an Act to Amend the Electoral Act N0. 6 2010 and for Other Matters Connected Therewith 2016.

The Senator also said “The card reader is indeed a novel innovation by the Independent National Electoral Commission. The card reader has been in use in many countries even before Nigeria adopted it for the 2015 general elections.

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“It has been in use in countries such as Ghana, South Africa, Kenya and many other African countries and most importantly, it has prevented electoral fraud. Thus, we must boost the confidence of our citizens in the system.”

Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase, has deployed 6,000 personnel and 14 units of mobile police personnel to compliment the personnel of the Rivers state Commandahead of the National Assembly rerun elections slated for the March 19, 2016.