WHO IS AFRAID OF SMART CARDS-READER?

WHO IS AFRAID OF SMART CARDS-READER?
                             By:
           Nurudeen Dauda
           September 13, 2018                         
nurudeendauda24@gmail.com nurudeendauda24@yahoo.com
nurudeendauda.blogspot.com

“Politics is too important to be left to the politicians alone,”- John F. Kennedy, Jr.

There is an ongoing allegation and counter allegations between the Executive and the Legislative on the issue of "sabotaging" the legalization of Smart Cards-Reader in our Electoral Act.There is also couter accusations between the opposition People's Democratic Party, PDP and the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC on similar issue.

In view of the uncertainty on this very sensitive issue, I strongly suggest that , Civil society organizations, Credible election advocates, Nigerian Union of Journalist, NUJ; Nigerian Bar Association, NBA; Academic Staff Union of the University, ASUU; and Nigerian Labour Congress,NLC etc., should and or must mount "serious pressure" on both the Executive and the Legislative to as a matter of urgency work hand-in-hand towards legalizing Cards-Reader in our Electoral Act before the 2019 General Elections.

Take it or leave it, "Cards-Reader"was among the "Game-Changers" in the 2015 General Elections.The elections though not perfect was widely adjudged to be the most credible in the 4th Republic, courtesy of the technology.

Usually Voters'Turnout even in Europe and America has an average of between 54% to 60%, but in Nigeria especially in the 2011General Elections, we recorded between 95% to 98% Voters'Turnout. Elections' Rigging has been parts of our ugly political history from the First Republic to date.

However, as important as the Cards-Reader to ensuring credible elections, it is "neither" recognise by our Electoral Act of 2010 nor the 1999 constitution as both amended. Cards-Reader had succeeded in puting "masters riggers" to"check" in 2015 ,except of course, in some parts of the country where it was allegedly "sabotaged". 

Elections' results were challenged in those areas . In both the Elections' Tribunals and the Appeals' Courts "Rerun" elections were ordered in those states due to substantial none compliance with the Cards-Reader, but the Supreme Court held that, it could not base it verdict on what was not known in the laws of the land. That was how those alleged elections riggers got away with it.

It is evident that, the use of Cards-Reader or any technology would improve the credibility of our elections. Credible elections bring about Good Governance.Credible elections is very fundamental in a democratic sets up.With credible elections, Political "Godfathers" and or "Money-bags" politicians would be irrelevant.

It is only through it that, the electorates could change "failed leaders"and retain those who lived up to expectations.If there is credible elections, politicians would be fulfilling their electoral promises knowing full well that, the electorates would change them should they fail. If elections are "free" and "fair", leaders would perform in order not to be"disgraced" out of office by the electorates.

The current Executive-Legislative leaderships in the country are both product of credible elections; as such, they should and or must take the issue of credible elections very seriously or else, history would be unkind to them. We do not want to hear any blame game on the issue of Cards-Reader anymore . All we want to hear is collaborative efforts towards its legalization.

All Nigerians not only politicians must work towards credible elections in order to have Good Governance . Let all us insist that, Cards-Reader must be legalised for 2019 General Elections. We must not leave politics to politicians alone. Enough of the Executive -Legislative politics on the issue of Cards-Reader. 
 

May God bless Nigeria!

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