Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday raised the alarm over the sudden disappearance of one of the smart card readers in Igarra, headquarters of Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State.
The dramatic loss of the smart card reader came just about one week to the actual conduct if the much expected governorship election fixed for September 10 by the electoral umpire in the state. Saturday Telegraph learnt that the card reader was stolen during the training of presiding and assistant presiding officers meant for the conduct of the governorship polls in the Kukuruku hilly agrarian town and oldest council in the country.
Our paper further gathered that a man who disguised himself as a member of the Nigeria Youth Service Corps (NYSC) stole the vital electoral item The real identity of the corps member is yet to be made public as at the time of filing this report even as it was also learnt that the suspect wants to use the smart card reader to secure access into the venue of the training of the presiding officers and others slated for Monday next week.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Sam Olumekun, had confirmed the loss of the smart card yesterday in a statement signed by the Administrative Secretary, Oscar-Less Amaechi. Olumekun described the incident as a ploy to tarnish the image of residents in the council area, pointing out however that the smart carder had not been configured for next Saturday’s governorship election across the 18 council areas of the state. The statement noted that: “INEC has observed the ploy to tarnish the good image of the good people of Akoko-Edo LGA, especially the inhabitants of Igarra.
It is a challenge for the people of Akoko-Edo to fish out the impostor who, during the training of Presiding Officers and Assistant Presiding Officers made away with the training smart card reader, which has not been configured for election.”
The REC stated further that the loss had been reported to the police for necessary action and to bring the perpetrators to book but warned that any plan to discredit or disrupt the already scheduled conduct of the governorshi polls in the state would not be tolerated. According to Olumekun, mefforts to disrupt the electoral process and credibility of the election would not be tolerated.
He said: “The INEC is using this medium to send a warning signal to all those who may be planning to disrupt the commission’s processes on election day to have a rethink because the law enforcement agents will descend on them.” Meanwhile, tension has heightened in the affected council over the loss of the vital item.
