The Kaduna State Council of Imams and Ulama’a on Thursday gave its backing to the use of Card Readers introduced by the National Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) in the forthcoming general elections, saying that INEC should not allow itself to be used to rig the elections.

The State Chairman, Sheik Abubakar Usman Babantune, said this while addressing an emergency press conference in Kaduna.

“Federal government must allow for a free, fair and credible election and whoever emerged as winners must be given his mandate,” the chairman stressed.

Sheikh Babantune, while calling on INEC to ensure that election materials reached the polling units on time, also urged the eligible voters to vote credible candidates that will salvage Nigeria from its present predicament.

He also urged the INEC to ensure that the presidential election and other elections holds as scheduled.

The scholar urged the eligible voters in the country to come out en mass and cast their votes and to ignore any attempted harassment or intimidation from the security operatives, considering the fact that, as Nigerians they have their civic right to cast their votes.

Sheik Babantune, who advised eligible Muslims voters in the country to be law abiding during and after the elections, said: “It is mandatory for we the Muslims in the country abide by the electoral Act at the polling units.”

According to him, “We must join hands so that to have violence free peaceful elections, especially in order to avoid the repeat of the 2011 post-elections violence particularly in Kaduna state.”

The chairman then appealed to the Muslim youth in the country to cooperate so that to have peaceful elections and to engage in to fighting with any trouble makers that want to foment trouble at the poling units.

•Photo shows Card Reader