The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it adopted the use of Voter Enrolment Device (VED) for resumption of Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) to deepen the use of technology in electoral process.
Mr Festus Okoye, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, said this when he spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.
He announced that the VED which was based on android tablet would arrive in the country on May 31, for the CVR to resume on June 28.
Okoye said the commission had retired the Direct Data Capture Machine (DDCM) used during the previous registration, and in its place would be an enrolment device.
He said that the VEDs would offer a lot of benefits including a very good facial detection and fingerprint live detection.
The national commissioner listed VEDs benefits to include compact and easy mobility, as well as “meeting the requirements of the National Digital Identity Ecosystem.
“The VED is different from DDC machines, because the main component of the DDCM, which is the laptop computer, is being replaced with a tablet computer.
“The device is more compact than the DDCM. It is a new generation device because the components are of better and newer technologies than the DDCM.
“As the time for the roll-out approaches, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, will update the nation on the modalities for the roll-out and the number of centres available to Nigerians.’’
Okoye said that in compliance with section 10(2) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), INEC would adopt a hybrid method involving both in person registration and online.
“Nigerians who are not computer literate or who live in rural areas can start and finish their registration at any of the designated registration centres.
“Those with computers, tablets or smart phones can start their registration online and complete their biometrics at any of the designated centres.
“The online portal will have a registration area and polling unit locator that will assist registrants locate the registration area and polling unit nearest to them,’’ he said.
Okoye said that Yakubu would update Nigerians on the number of Voting Points and Voting Point Settlements converted to stand alone and full-fledged polling units, and the total number of polling units in Nigeria.
“INEC has broken a 25-year-old jinx relating to the expansion of voter access to polling units, and Nigerians will have at their disposal new polling units.
“The polling units will enable persons with disability, pregnant women and the elderly to access the units with less stress.
“Such polling units will be easily accessible and user-friendly. It will make for physical distancing and will enable our ad hoc staff to carry out their constitutional and legal duties comfortably,’’ he said.
Okoye said that the voter registration was at the heart of the democratic process, as it would enable Nigerians who had attained the constitutional age for registration to register and exercise their democratic franchise.
“Therefore, Nigerians that meet the constitutional and legal threshold for registration will have the opportunity to register,’’ Okoye said.
He said that Yakubu, at his April 1, news conference, noted that the CRV was open to all Nigerians who were 18 years of age and have never been registered to vote.
The official said that the registration would also be opened to any registered voter, who had any issue during accreditation at previous elections, so that the agency could rectify such problems.
“All registered voters who wish to transfer their voting locations from the present one to another; all registered voters who have lost their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) or whose PVCs have been defaced or damaged.
“Also to all registered voters, who wish to correct their information such as misspellings of names, dates of birth etc,’’ he said. (NAN)