The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will use card readers during the 2019 general elections but ruled out the electronic transmission of results.

This is coming days after President Muhammadu Buhari’s rejection of the Electoral Act amendment bill sent to him by the National Assembly..

However, INEC chairman Prof ‎Mahmud Yakubu said the commission would deploy card readers in every polling unit in the country just as it did in 2015.

Yakubu, who spoke during the public hearing on the menace of vote buying and improving the country’s electoral processes, said the commission had finished all preparations towards the use of the card reader.

Responding to questions from some senators and stakeholders, Prof Yakubu said: “For those talking about whether INEC would use card reader during the 2019 elections or not, I want to assure that INEC will deploy card reader in every polling unit in the country.

“This is an assurance from the commission, and we are ever ready to do that, although we are yet to configure the card readers to match every polling unit.”

‎Senate President Bukola Saraki, had while declaring the hearing open, urged INEC, security agencies and other stakeholders to ensure free, fair and credible polls in 2019.

He said INEC should improve on the unprecedented record it set during the 2015 elections, pointing out vote buying is currently one of the most disturbing challenges of Nigeria’s political process.

•Sourced from a Daily Trust report

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