BY DAYO JOHNSON
AKURE—IT was a shouting match between officials of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC,  and Youth Corp members in many registration centres in Ondo State,  as many of the Direct Data Capturing, DDC, machines used for the ongoing voters registration exercise malfunctioned.

But for the presence of security operatives, the INEC officials and corps members would have been manhandled by those who trooped out in large number to register.

Many areas visited by Vanguard in Akure, the Ondo State capital where the DDC machines worked, it was extremely slow which drew the ire of those that came for registration.

Findings across the state showed that the technical faults had greatly affected the work of the commission as the registration officers barely register 20 people per unit for the day.

As at 2pm yesterday, most of the registration centres visited had not registered more than 10 persons.
It was discovered that the scanners being used to capture fingerprints were faulty in many centres.

Some of the registration officers who volunteered to speak, said they were having problems with the machines.
It would be recalled that last week, some irate youths at Igbokoda and other communities in Ilaje Local Government Area of the state, disrupted the exercise which kicked-off nation wide Saturday yesterday.

The youths, numbering about 300 besieged many registration centres in the council and sent away corps members, INEC officials.
The youths who were protesting inadequate Direct Data Capturing, DDC, machines in the area locked officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, up in the office and sent the Electoral Officer away from the office.

The inadequacies of INEC came on the heels of Governor Olusegun Mimiko leading over 5,000 indigenes of the State on a rally to sensitize them on the need for massive registration.

The governor armed with leaflets, posters and fliers personally distributed these educative materials to motorists, market women, traders and passers-by.