Introduction of the permanent voter card (PVC) reader could be described as the closest the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) could go in the bid to introduce electronic voting in Nigeria. Its introduction is not without strong opposition from political parties and interest groups.
But INEC said it is going ahead with the PVC reader and it is appropriate for you to know about the PVC reader.
While much information has not been released yet about the card reader, Innovation Village got some information about the capacity of the device and its battery life.
Each card has capacity for information of 750 voters. This means there are specific card readers for specific polling units and it will be more difficult to steal voters’ cards, corresponding PVC readers, tagged ballot papers and boxes.
The PVC card reader also has a very long battery life which allows the device to operate for 12 hours. Which means when fully charged, it can be one for the entire voting period.
Responding to critics of the device, the Chairman of INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega, has said that those opposing the use of the card readers in this year’s elections were those who feel their fraudulent conduct will be detected.
Prof Jega made the statement in Abuja on Wednesday while inaugurating the Civil Society Organizations’ (CSOs) Situation Room, where CSO representatives, under the Nigerian Civil Society Situation Room, will receive and analyze reports of the elections.
Prof Jega said: “To my mind, and to many in INEC, this is one of the many reasons many people are opposing the use of the card reader. Because a clear way that they had used in the past to somehow get away with fraudulent conduct in elections, will now be made difficult, because if they do, it is very likely now to be established.
“The use of the card reader will help us address some of the concerns about the alteration of, particularly accreditation figures in order to fraudulently advantage to a candidate and disadvantage the other candidate.
“Information about accreditation, which will be saved on the card reader and which will be transmitted to our data base, will be useful in term of addressing irregularities, when the emerge in relation to alteration of accreditation figures.”
