How To Detect Manipulated Card Readers During Elections By PVC-Naija

A non governmental organization, PVC-Naija has real out technical way of identifying a pre-programmed or manipulated election card reader so as to make the electioneering process a credible one.

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In a statement made available to newsmen by Dr. Bolaji Akinyemi, the group urges Nigerians and Party agents to take note of the following as during elections:

1. Agent must arrive to your polling units as early as possible, at least before accreditation begins. *Once accreditation begins, you won’t be able to detect a manipulated card reader*.

2. Upon arrival to your polling units, agent must verify the card reader brought to your unit for the election. Identify the Presiding Officer (PO) for your unit, and request him to present the card reader to the agents onground.

3. Request the PO to put on the Card Reader (if it is not already on), and request him/or her to click on “query icon” on the smart card reader.

4. Check that the card reader shows zero “0” upon clicking the query icon.  *If it shows zero, it is okay to be used for accreditation. If it shows any other figure before comencement of accreditation, the card reader has been pre programmed*.

5. *If confirmed that a figure other than “0” is displayed, agent should raise alarm and inform agents of other parties, and no accreditation should take place in that unit until the card reader is cleared*.

Akinyemi also urges Nigerians, the media, local and international observers to be extra vigilant stressing that rigging in any election starts from the polling unit. Akinyemi urges Nigerians and particularly party agents to be smart enough not to miss these steps.