The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Akwa Ibom says it has received 3,813 card readers for accreditation of voters in the forthcoming elections.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr Austin Okojie, disclosed this at a Forum of Political Parties, Security Agencies, the Media and Civil Society Organisations in Uyo on Monday.
Okojie told the forum that the accreditation of voters would be done using card readers on presentation of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
He explained that each card reader was configured to suit a specific polling unit and was not transferable.
“Reading of the PVCs would take only three minutes per voter’’, Okojie said.
He assured that the card reading machines were new and would do the accreditation effectively within the stipulated period of 8a.m. and 1p.m.
Okojie said that the distribution of the PVCs had improved in the last two weeks in the state.
He said that out of the 1,462,780 PVCs received in the state, 1,328,715 or 91.4 per cent had been distributed.
The commissioner advised all stakeholders to embrace peace before, during and after the elections in the state.
Deputy Governor Valerie Ebe of Akwa Ibom said the power of the people laid in their votes.
Ebe urged the people to conduct themselves in a peaceful manner during the period of the elections.
She advised the people to make sure that their votes counted in the elections, emphasising that the peaceful conduct of elections was everybody’s responsibility.
Ebe commended INEC for organising the forum and its preparations for free and fair elections. (NAN)
