Polls: Use Of Card Readers, Recipe For Anarchy – Mimiko

 by  SODIQ ADEKUNLE March 9, 2015 

Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko, has said that the use of card readers, during the forth-coming election, without adequate measures being put in place may lead to anarchy.   

He said this when he visited the Osun State Peoples Democratic Party's  ex-governorship candidate, Chief Iyiola Omisore,‎ on Saturday.   

According to him, the introduction of the card readers was not a challenge, but the issues surrounding its usage must be tackled.   

He said: "Suppose the card readers malfunctions, they said in such cases, they will have back-up. In my state, there are areas that are two or three hours away to the headquarters. We have many riverine communities that you will have to travel on speed boat for over two hours and another two hours to get to the headquarters.   

"So, what happens if the card reader malfunctions in such areas? INEC said, it would conduct such elections the following day. For me, this is a recipe for anarchy. If Prof. Attahiru Jega and all the leaders of the All Progressive Congress (APC) that are enthusiastic about this card readers can provide answers to the questions, why should we? The issue is there are more questions than answer. We cannot afford to pretend that there are no issues. We can't afford to pretend that there are no anxiety."  

 He warned that the percentage of the cards tested on Saturday was not enough to guarantee whether or not the cards would not malfunction during elections.   

He added: "There is nothing wrong with us advancing in technology as regards our electoral process.

 "The test that was held on Saturday, I was told was on170, 000 cards or so; that's 0.275 ‎per cent; under five per cent. My background is science, and as a medical doctor, I don't think that sample size is significant. Now, it is like we are groping in the dark. This is a new technology, as far as we are concern, and there are still more questions than answers."   

Mimiko, however, predicted that President Goodluck Jonathan would sweep a majority of South-West votes, arguing that he had fulfilled most of the region's demand. 

  He said APC in the region was only grounded in propaganda and cannot win elections.  

 He said: "We have also been the advocate of true federalism and you must give it to Jonathan for summoning courage to convoke the conference.

‎   "There were 600 resolutions in that conference. All by consensus. ‎For us in Yoruba land, most of what we are clamouring for has been the content of this resolution.  And Jonathan has made it clear that within the first year of his second term, he would implement the resolutions of the confab. I tell you that Jonathan is going to have more than 75 per cent of the Yoruba votes."

Read more at: http://dailytimes.com.ng/polls-use-of-card-readers-recipe-for-anarchy-mimiko/

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Written by NEWSTRAWL ONLINE UPDATE

Sodiq Oyeleke is a Media, Human Resources, Project Management and Public Relations Practitioner