PDP disputes Bauchi, Borno, Yobe presidential results

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has queried the non-use of Smart Card Readers in last Saturday’s presidential election in some part of the country.

The party asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to project what the Smart Card Readers captured as accreditation figures before the collation continues.

The protest, INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu, however said should be channeled to the commission’s headquarters.

Speaking on Tuesday at the ongoing Collation of result of presidential election in Abuja, PDP agent, Mr. Osita Chidoka queried why the card readers were not compulsory in some parts of the country when they were elsewhere.

Chidoka, who was categorical about results from Bauchi, Borno and Yobe, said the party has documented its observations as an official petition to the commission.

He said: ” The issue before us, Mr. chairman is that we feel strongly about and the chairman of the PDP has written you a petition.

“We are worried that the promise you made, the commitment you made and INEC made that as we are doing this collation of results, you will give us the details of accreditation captured by the card reader in the country.

“Yesterday (Monday) my colleague raised the issue and we thought that when we come back this morning as we are listening to the states, we will be seeing the accreditation by the states by the card reader.

“This Mr. Chairman, I like it to be on record that we want to see the accreditation for Bauchi state, for Borno state and Yobe in particular and of course, for the rest of the country because the number as we are seeing, it seems to me that we live in two countries.

“Why people in the south have issues with the SCR, why complaints were all over the place, we seem to have quiet and peaceful elections in places where the people have complained of  severe cases of insecurity and harassments by the military and bandits.

“So, we would like you Mr. Chairman and I forward this letter to you to say that we will appeal that if it is possible Mr. Chairman, that before we proceed to the next state, you should please project to us what the card reader has captured as the accreditation  in these states.”

He added: “We are supposed to read from the card readers the electronic collation as against the manual information that we are getting to process information here.

“While it isn’t yet signed into law in your guidelines it was made clear that no voting should take place where there are no card readers.

“So, Mr. Chairman, we must appeal to you that we would like you to project these accreditation as done by the card readers.

“Please, if any of your staff is available he can please, take a copy of this letter from the chairman of the PDP saying that what we are doing here will require us to have the accreditation as done by the electronic card readers.”

However, in his response INEC boss urged the protesting party to submit its letter to the commission’s headquarters.

He assured PDP the commission will surely look into the petition and respond accordingly.

“Thank you Mr. Chidoka. But there is a procedure for submitting correspondence to the Commission.

“We haven’t shut down our office. This is the International Conference Centre where we are using as collation centre.

“Kindly submit your letter to the office, it will be acknowledged. Your letter will now be studied and we will respond, accordingly.

“I believe that there are details in the letter that we need to study,” Yakubu said.