*Says they have been vindicated with lapses recorded during card test-run

By Henry Umoru

FIFTEEN political parties and five presidential candidates who, last week, in Abuja kicked against the proposed use of card readers by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the conduct of the March 28 and April 11 general elections, yesterday denied being sponsored by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and the presidency.

According to the parties, they have been vindicated by the flaws experienced during the test run of the Card Reader Machines in 12 states, last Saturday and restated their call for the jettisoning of the cards against the backdrop that Nigerians cannot be used as guinea pigs.

Speaking with Vanguard on telephone yesterday, spokesperson of the parties and Delta State governorship candidate of the Advanced Congress for Democrats, ACD, Dr. Breakforth Onwubuya, noted that those insinuating and speculating that the ruling party was sponsoring them to call for the jettisoning of the machines were making very great mistakes. He said as stakeholders who were participating in the elections, the onus was on them to raise alarm when things are going wrong and not beneficial to the country.