TheCable

Just like it happened during the March 28 presidential election, the card reader of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) again rejected the thumbprint of Goodluck Jonathan, former president, in the ongoing Bayelsa state governorship election.

Alongside his wife and mother, Jonathan came to polling unit 039, Ward 13 in Ogbia local government area, located exactly opposite his Otuoke residence, but he could not get accredited via the card reader.

Jonathan and his family returning for accreditation after the initial hitch

The incident happened at about 8:45am.

Jonathan returned to the polling unit around 10am. This time around, the card reader acknowledged the former president and his wife but failed to read his mother’s biometrics.

An incident form was filled on her behalf before she was manually accredited.

“From my experience today, INEC must review this issue of card reader and PVC very well before we go into 2019 election. Because even during the presidential election, the machine rejected myself and my wife,” he said.

“Today, because they changed my own, they changed my wife’s own, it was successful. But about five people who came with me, including my mother, my elder sister and a former commissioner in Bayelsa state, were unsuccessful. These are known people, so they cannot carry fake or cloned cards. They are known senior people from this state. So, out of five of us, only myself and my wife were accredited.

“The percentage of failure is high and I am a bit uncomfortable.”

Responding to a question on the outcome of the election, Jonathan said: “They are yet to vote; we are just accrediting them. A governor will emerge and we will pray for whoever emerges to give us good leadership, good governance and to take everyone along.

“I advise Bayelsans to be peaceful, so that the elections will be orderly and the transition period will also be peaceful.”