The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has insisted that only permanent voter cards (PVCs), smart card readers would be used for the 2019 elections.
INEC chairman Mahmood Yakubu reaffirmed this on Monday in Abuja at the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room National Stakeholders Forum on Elections.
The commission said the enhanced card reader is an integral part of the 2019 election, ruling out the use of incident forms in the exercise.
Incident forms, which involve manual accreditation of voters in the event of card reader failure, stirred up controversy in the 2015 election.
The enhanced technological device, Mr Yakubu said, would be used for accreditation, verification and authentication of voters.
President Muhammadu Buhari had on Friday December 7 declined assent to the Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2018 for the fourth time.
“Any real or apparent change to the rules this close to the elections may provide an opportunity for disruption and confusion in respect of which law governs the electoral process,” President Buhari stated in separate letters addressed to Senate President Bukola Saraki and Speaker, House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara.
