UPDATED: President Jonathan Unable To Be Accredited By 3 Card Readers; Wife & Mother Accredited Immediately

President Jonathan addressing news reporters. Screengrab from Channelstv

Three voter card readers have failed to read President Goodluck Jonathan's biometrics and accredit him for voting at the Otazi playground polling centre in his home town, Otueke, Bayelsa State.

Mr. Jonathan arrived Polling Unit 13 at about 9. 20 a.m. He is yet to be accredited at 10 a.m. as three different card readers failed to capture his biometrics.

Patiently waiting for a fourth card reader, a sweating Mr. Jonathan said he was not worried. He said he will wait as the malfunction might just be a little delay.

“President Jonathan is just one person, so if we have problem with one person, as far as the elections is going on well nationally,” he said. “I’m not worried, there might be a delay, my interest s that we conduct a credible election.”

He also said no sacrifice is too much for Nigeria. He encouraged other voters to be patient with INEC in getting their accreditation done.

The chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Attahiru Jega, had said that if the card reader fails to capture a voter’s biometrics, the commission’s staff at the polling units will resort to manual accreditation.

Meanwhile, Muhammadu Buhari, his main challenger, has been accredited at his polling unit in Katsina state.

INEC says its officials will use an incident form to accredit authentic voters rejected by the card readers.