The Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, yesterday, said the commission has taken delivery of over 20million voters card from the supplier in preparation for the forthcoming 2015 elections, adding that efforts to get the rest were on.
Jega made this disclosure yesterday as the guest speaker of the National Old Students Association, Olivet Baptist High School's night of excellence dinner held in Ikeja, Lagos and hosted by the President of the association, Mr. Olusegun Ahmadu.
While speaking, Jega revealed the modalities for the 2015 elections which include the use of card readers, serial numbering and colour coding of ballot papers to vary from constituency to constituency and unique result sheets for each and every polling unit.
Stressing that the commission has been making additional efforts for the 2015 elections, on the strength of the lessons learnt from the 2011 elections, Jega added that unless elections are reformed and citizens votes truly made to count, good democratic governance would continue to elude the nation.
Since assumption of duty in 2010, he said the commission has assiduously worked to improve the electoral process and incrementally satisfy citizens' desire for their votes to count and for democracy to be deepened.
Also he said other achievements in 2011 election which was made realisable through the new biometric register of voters,a re-modified open ballot system (REMBOS), serial numbering and colour coding of ballot boxes and papers, would be reacted in the next election.
He added that there would be a revised framework for results collation and returns and engagement of Adhoc staff, more open and transparent procedures, modalities and processes on the election day.
But prominently, Jega said the commission would ensure closer collaboration and partnership with a range of critical stakeholders including political parties, security agencies, civil society and media organisations, as well as ensure increased and improved voter education and citizen enlightenment with re-training of INEC staff.
He said, "We now have a data base of biometric registration of voters of 73.5 million and it is the best data base in this country presently and we have captured a range of variables for voters, we even have the telephone numbers.
" It’s a very rich database. We did our best to eliminate multiple registration before the april elections but we deplored the advance finger print identification system at the level of the pooling unit and the state level and we had little time to do a decent job."
He added, "We were able to catch almost a million multiple registration and removed them before the election. Since that time we have been able to run the advance finger print identification system in the consolidated database nationwide and we eliminated them and by the time we give the permanent voters card there will be no person that will have two of those card.
"The key feature of this permanent voters card is that it has an embedded chip that carries all the biometric that we have gathered and in 2015, God willing we will deploy card readers that will read the information on this card to authenticate the true holder and ensure that only the legitimate holder of the card will be accredited to vote.
"Even if politicians succed in buying these cards come voting day, it will be useless. We believe this are important step forward that can add to the credibility of the electoral process because we are using card readers unique to every eligible voter and fashioned in such a way that only the owners can use it."
"Again, all ballot papers, result sheets and ballot boxes would be serially numbered and the colour will vary frm constituency to constituency in order to prevent situations where the ballot papers will be moved around.
"We will also make sure that the result sheets will be unique for every polling unit. All these measures are geared towards striving to improve our electoral process and after the 2015 elections, INEC would be adjudged the best electoral body in the world," Jega said.
Also at the event were the National Chairman Action Congress of Nigeria, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; the Chairman of the occasion who also doubles as the Chairman, First Bank of Nigeria, Prince Ajibola Afonja; the Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon, Adeyemi Ikuforoji and Chairman, Bi-Courtney Group, Wale Babalakin.
The occasion also served as an opportunity to honour some worthy alumni of the college who have excelled in their various field of endeavour across all strata.
The awardees include, the Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Jumoke Sunmonu; President, Nigerian Baptist Convention, Dr. Olasupo Ayokunle; Director General, Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, Mr. Ayo Shomonda and Registrar, Samuel Adegboyega University, Ogwa, Edo State, Mr. Adeleke Adeboye.
Others are, Professor of Law, Prof. Taiwo Osipitan; Permanent Secretary, Osun State Civil Service, Mrs. Bidemi Agbedahunsi and legal practitioner, Dr. Abiodun Layonu.
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