The Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, yesterday said the commission had taken delivery of over 20 million voters’ cards from the supplier in preparation for the 2015 elections, adding that efforts to get the rest were on.
Jega made this disclosure yesterday as a guest speaker of the national old students association, Olivet Baptist High School's night of excellence dinner held in Ikeja, Lagos and hosted by the President of the association, Mr. Olusegun Ahmadu.
While speaking, Jega revealed the modalities for the 2015 elections which include the use of card readers, serial numbering and colour coding of ballot papers to vary from constituency to constituency and unique result sheets for each and every polling unit.
Stressing that the commission had been making additional efforts for the 2015 elections, on the strength of the lessons learnt from the 2011 elections, Jega added that unless elections were reformed and citizens votes truly made to count, good democratic governance would continue to elude the nation.
Since assumption of duty in 2010, he said the commission had assiduously worked to improve the electoral process and incrementally satisfy citizens' desire for their votes to count and for democracy to be deepened.
Also, he said other achievements recorded in 2011 were made realisable through the new biometric register of voters, a re-modified open ballot system (REMBOS), serial numbering and colour coding of ballot boxes and papers, would be reacted in the next election.
He added that there would be a revised framework for results collation and returns and engagement of ad hoc staff, more open and transparent procedures, modalities and processes on the election day.
But prominently, Jega said the commission would ensure closer collaboration and partnership with a range of critical stakeholders including political parties, security agencies, civil society and media organisations, as well as ensure increased and improved voter education and citizen enlightenment with re-training of INEC staff.
He said: "We are using card readers unique to every eligible voter and fashioned in such a way that only the owners can use it, because it would stop politicians from buying the citizens voters card and vote.
"Again, all ballot papers, result sheets and ballot boxes would be serially numbered and the colour will vary from constituency to constituency in order to prevent situations where the ballot papers will be moved around.
"We will also make sure that the result sheets will be unique for every polling unit. All these measures are geared towards striving to improve our electoral process and after the 2015 elections, INEC would be adjudged the best electoral body in the world."
