The official website of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has eportedly been hacked.
Press Secretary to INEC chairman, Mr. Kayode Idowu, has confirmed the incidence in a text message to huhuonline.com.
“Hacked will be up soon,” Idowu’s text read.
Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan’s accreditation on Saturday for the presidential election in n Utuoke, his home place for n Bayelsa state was delayed as three card readers failed to capture his biometric details.
Jonathan, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, who arrived at the Otazi playground polling centre in his home town, Otuoke, Bayelsa State, with his wife, at exactly 9:22 am, could not be accredited till after 10:00 am.
However, the same card reader had accredited some other voters before the President.
While waiting for a fourth card reader, a visibly sweating Jonathan urged Nigerians to be patient and ensure they all voted.
Calling the inability to be accredited a little delay, Jonathan told journalists that the elections nationwide should not be viewed through the perspective of only one incident of failed card reader.
Jonathan said: “President Jonathan is just one person, so if we have problem with one person, as far as the elections is going on well nationally.
“I’m not worried, there might be a delay, my interest is that we conduct a credible election.
“What I want to know is that what is happening across the country.”
Jonathan, who also placed a call through to the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, to find out what is happening nationwide, added: “I want to use this opportunity to commend Nigerians and congratulate them for coming out to elect the next President, Senators and House of Representatives.
“There maybe issues, but this is the first time we are using this technology of voters card and card readers, I just spoke with the INEC Chairman to know what is happening across the country, President Jonathan is just one voter so even if we have problems with my own card, as long as nationally the process is going on well.
“They may be a way to resolve the hitches but my interest is for us to conduct a peaceful and credible elections and i believe that no matter the hitches.
“Nigeria elections is an election that the whole world is interested in and my conviction is that the election should go on.”
There had been complaints in various parts of Lagos concerning the challenges being faced by voters as well as the late commencement of the accreditation.
Mr. Ima Niboro,Director General of the News Agency of Nigeria, said he spoke with the Chairman of the INEC Professor Attahiru Jega, who he said gave approval for President Jonathan to be accredited “based on the register”.
In another development, APC Residential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari has been successfully accredited in his Katsina voting unit.
Buhari lauded the use of the card reader, saying it will go a long way to check electoral malpractice case n the ongoing polls.
Also, the Presidential and National Assembly elections in parts of Delta state is witnessing a hitch with the seemingly unpreparedness of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
At Abigborodo, Ward 6 with 4 units, Warri North Local Government Area, as at 12:10pm and one hour to the end of accredidatr exercise, there is no presence of INEC officials and electoral materials.
Incidentally, Abigborodo is the country home of Delta state Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, who is also stranded due to lack of officials and electoral materials.
Hundreds of voters who have been milling around the voting units since 8:00am complain that there may have been a ploy by INEC to disenfranchise eligible voters in the area.
They wondered why INEC personnel and materials are unavailable to conduct electoral process.
An INEC official in Asaba however mentioned that the Commission encountered some logistics problems, assuring that the problems would be sorted out shortly.
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