By BEN AGANDE, GEORGE ONAH, KOLADE LAREWAJU, VINCENT UJUMADU, SAMUEL OYADONGHA, SIMON EBEGBULEM, OLA AJAYI, CHIDI NKWOPARA, EMMA ARUBI, GBENGA ARIYIBI & ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH

ABUJA—IT was complaints galore from many eligible voters across states of the federation who went home disappointed, yesterday, when they could not be registered on the second day of the voters registration exercise due to technical problems of the Direct Data Capture Machines.

In Abeokuta, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, got a dose of the frustrations and disappointments of many Nigerians over the ongoing voter registration exercise as the Direct Data Capture, DDC, machines employed by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, rejected his finger prints several times.

The former president waited patiently as a member of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, at the centre tried severally to get his fingerprint registered while the Ogun State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Deacon Martins Okunfolami, and other INEC officials present made frantic efforts to get Obasanjo registered.

INEC Registers new voters at Uzoigwe Primary School Asaba Photos Nath Onojake

When the first DDC machine failed, the INEC team changed its scanner and used two different ones which also eventually faltered and the former President was ushered to another registration point nearby, where the machines also experienced similar malfunctioning.

When all hopes appeared dashed and the queue of eligible voters was swelling, the former president got up and signaled his intention to leave.

Obasanjo who had arrived his Ward 11 Ita_Eko, Abeokuta at about 11.53 a.m. accompanied by his wife; Bola, had to declare, after the long wait, that he would come back for the exercise as soon as he returned from an overseas trip.

See photos of the ongoing voters registration

He, however, cautioned Nigerians against castigating INEC over the shaky start of the exercise, saying it was normal for a new programme such as the DDC technology_driven voter registration to experience hiccups at initial stage.

But apparently sensing the implication of Obasanjo’s failure to register, the INEC officials made several phone calls and pleaded with the former president to give them some more time to allow an expert come for the registration.

The expert arrived at about 12.45 p.m. and performed the registration. But it took about 20 minutes for the process to be completed.

Speaking with newsmen before the arrival of the expert Obasanjo said: “I want to say this to the press: whenever you are starting a new programme like this, it’s likely to have hitches until everybody masters it. Today is the second day. I believe that by the middle of this week, both the people who are carrying out the registration, the technicians, the INEC at the highest level will be able to make this work smoothly. So, I don’t believe that we should now start to castigate and to condemn.

If, of course, by the middle of the week it’s not working as it should be, we will all see and then those who designed it would have to advise us how we go about it. But for now, I believe let’s regard this as the hiccup of a new process.

David Mark disappointed

Attempts by President  of the Senate Sen. David Mark to register for the general election in his ward I Otukpo, Benue State, was futile as equipment brought by the INEC did not  function. The Senate president accompanied by his wife, Mrs Helen, arrived at the  registration centre at 10 .00 am and waited in vain till 1.00 pm when he was advised to go home and return later.

At about 4.00 pm, Mark and his wife returned to the venue and made spirited efforts to register but the INEC machine disappointed. An embarrassed Senate president told INEC pointedly to put its house in order, stressing: “I have made spirited efforts to register to no avail. I went to the registration centre about 10.00 am. I waited for more than two hours  and nobody could be registered. I returned at about 4.00 p.m yet nothing could be done.

Osoba tasks INEC on workforce

Former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba, asked the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Ogun State to give all the political parties in the state, the list of their personnel in each polling station to clear itself of the allegation that its workforce for the registration exercise was being sponsored by a political party.

Chief Osoba spoke at his Ago_Oba Ward in Abeokuta while undertaking his voters’ registration in front of his family compound in the state capital.

He said: “There are many issues I still want to clear with INEC. For example, there is the allegation that its personnel are being sponsored by a political party. In the spirit of transparency, I want INEC to give the list of those working in each polling station to the political parties so that we can check the authenticity of the people.

“INEC must be transparent. The political parties would be able to check the authenticity of each individual. I am not saying that INEC should give the list to Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, but to all political parties.”

No registration materials in Sagbama, Bayelsa State
Most citizens who thronged the voters’ registration centres in the Sagbama council area, yesterday, went home disappointed due to the non availability of registration materials. An INEC staff who spoke anonymously told Vanguard that the situation was not limited to Sagbama alone blaming development on the shortfall in the number of DDC machines earlier sent to the state.

Our correspondent who was at Sagbama and its neighbouring communities that could be accessed by road observed a large turn out of natives many of whom were waiting patiently for the arrival of the machines.

One of the officials told Vanguard that they were expecting the machine to arrive later in the day as according to him, “most of the eligible natives are enthusiastic about the exercise and they have given us their word that would come back once the machine arrived.”

Though the DDC machines were handy in most part of Yenagoa most of the eligible voters’ who came out to register were frustrated as it took about 30 minutes to get an individual registered with the result that some who could stand the long wait left disappointed.

Slow pace in Port Harcourt

Scores of potential voters in Rivers State complained of the slow pace at which the exercise was being conducted.

Vanguard observed in some of the units that the National Youth Service Corps members had not mastered the operation of the Data Capturing Machines even as it took close to two hours for some of the machines to be switched on.

Also, on Sunday at between 9.30 a.m and 10 a.m, some of the corps members and INEC workers were seen in many parts of the city carrying the machines on their heads, begging and flagging down vehicles to help convey them to their units

Following the long queues and delays at the units the state governor, Chibuike Amaechi has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to “seriously consider the extension of date for the exercise.”

Amaechi, made the appeal shortly after being registered in his home town, at Ward 8 Ubima in Ikwerre Local Government Area, during the flag off of the voters’ registration exercise in the state.

Disappointment in Benin city

It was disappointment on the faces of voters in Edo State when they went out at the early hours of Saturday and Sunday, for the voter’s registration exercise but it was sadly discovered in some areas that the machines meant for the exercise were not in good shape.

Vanguard observed that the NYSC members handling the exercise arrived the venue at about 3.00 pm but could do little or nothing as either the machines were not responding or that there was no power to power the generators. It was the same story in the three senatorial districts of the state.

People waited endlessly for the machines and several of them who could not wait went back to their homes. Vanguard observed also that another problem that may mar the exercise was the problem of power to power the machines. Even when the exercise commended at about 3.00pm, power outage marred it because the generators brought by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, were not functional.

Unimpressive take off in Ibadan

Following the not_too_impressive take_off of the registration of eligible voters in Oyo State, a former governor of the state, Senator Rashidi Ladoja has allayed the fears of people in the state saying the electoral body would normalize things before the expiration of the exercise.

The exercise started on Saturday with many voters complaining about non-availability of many materials needed for the exercise. They waited endlessly at registration centres for the arrival of materials. Where materials were available, some officials complained that the machines were not compatible with each other and there was no way the exercise could continue.

As at yesterday, some voters around Obokun area, Eleyele_Sango road were still complaining that the exercise had not met the expected standard.

Confusion in Owerri
Two days into the voters registration exercise ordered by INEC, no single voter had successfully registered at the Emmanuel College, Owerri registration centre. Confusion and anger reigned supreme at the Emmanuel College, Owerri, and other voters’ registration centres, following the complaints by INEC officials that the machines were dysfunctional.

While the INEC officials arrived the centre at 12.30pm, no single voter successfully registered as at 3.35 pm when Vanguard visited the centre.

Vanguard also gathered that the initial Data Capturing Machine, 16/25/06/008/009,010, originally given to the officials was mistakenly brought to Emmanuel College instead of the Timber Market registration centre.
Another visible problem was the delivery of just one machine, 15/25/06/001,002,003,004, instead four that would have served the four recognized units in the College.

Mild protests in Lagos
People of Aboru, in Agbado_ Oke_Odo local development council of Lagos state, have condemned the  absence of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, officials in the area for the on_going voters’ register exercise.
At the beginning of the exercise on Saturday, no official of the commission was seen in the area, precipitating fear that the area may not record the expected success of the registration of voters register.

This development had led to mild protest  from some youths who met with some community leaders, including Chief Victor Fagbemi and registered their grievances.

Speaking to Vanguard, one of the youths, Mr. Olalekan Raphael, who claimed to be a member of the ACN, insinuated that the absence of the officials on the first day of the exercise may be to disenfranchise the people of the area.

Ekiti seeks extension of time
Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi called on the chairman of INEC, Dr Atahiru Jega to extend the period of the ongoing registration of voters, saying there was no way INEC could meet up with the  registration of  all eligible Nigerians considering the time  and other technical problems  being associated  with Direct Data Captured, DDC, Machines

The governor was speaking while briefing newsmen after registering  by the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Alhaji Isyaku Maigoro at  unit 9,  Ogilolo Street, ward 11 in Isan Ekiti , lamented  the  short period earmarked by the INEC to register prospective voters  and the technical problems being witnessed at the various registration centres in the state

Fayemi, who spent over thirty minutes before completing the registration, urged the Commission to improve on the proficiencies of their officials to reduce the time being used to register a prospective voter

Warri without DDC machines
The largely riverine coastal constituency bordering the Atlantic ocean and parts of the oil city toured by a federal law maker was without the presence of INEC officials and DDC machines, yesterday.

The law maker said whenever the exercise commences, INEC must ensure that the mandatory 14_days slated for the exercise throughout the country be given to the people of his constituency also, adding that “prospective voters in the constituency are currently traumatised with strong fear of total or partial disenfrachisement.’

He said: “I am aghast as to why INEC has refused to effect commencement of voter’s registration in Warri Federal constituency. Could this a ploy for an orchestrated end of ominous dimension against the prospective electorates of this constituency?”

Awka yet to commence registration
As at 12 noon, yesterday, many centers had not received the DDC machines in Awka, just as some members of the NYSC handling the exercise appear not to have mastered how to operate the machines.

In the commercial city of Onitsha, it was only at the Central Primary School (CPS) Odoakpu Onitsha that the registration had started as at 11 am, while other parts of the town were yet to receive the DDC machines. Registration was also going on at Nkwo Ogbakuba in Ogbaru local government area where Vanguard observed that it took about 30 minutes to register a person.

INEC addresses technical challenges
Meanwhile INEC has taken concrete measures to eliminate the bottlenecks in the voter registration process which were noticed at the commencement of the exercise nationwide last Saturday. Already, the Commission is addressing the technical challenges that have hampered fingerprints capture and thereby slowed down the voter registration procedure in some polling units across the country.

INEC chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega assured Nigerians that steps are being taken to rectify the observed lapses in the exercise, noting that ‘no single person of registrable age who turns out to register will be denied the right in the course of the present exercise’.

There were long queues at some registration centres and the technical difficulties witnessed on the first day appear to have been resolved.

At some registration centres in Karu, Asokoro, Garki and Central Area visited by Vanguard, a cross section of prospective voters who spoke with Vanguard said the exercise was going on smoothly.

In a statement the national chairman of INEC, allayed fears the hitches observed on the first day of the election were being addressed.

The statement signed by the chief Press Secretary to the INEC chairman, Mr Kayode Idowu reads:
“The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) hereby allays the apprehension of Nigerians over whatever hitches might have been noticed in the commencement on Saturday, January 15, of the Voter Registration exercise nationwide.

“The Commission acknowledges the delayed deployment of Direct Data Capture machines in a few of the polling units across the country. It is also fully aware of glitches, which accounted for difficulties in the capture of fingerprints and, consequently, lengthy queues at some polling units.

“Nigerians should be reassured that these are initial problems which the Commission is looking into and hopes to redress as soon as possible.

“The Commission urges for patience, considering that today is just the first day of a 15_Day exercise. It also commends Nigerians for turning out in large numbers for the exercise and hereby reassures that no single person of registrable age who turns out to register will be denied the right in the course of the present exercise”.