Former Governor of Jigawa, Sule Lamido, has expressed worry over the inability of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BIVAS, to recognise his face and fingerprint in the presidential and National Assembly elections.
Lamido said this after he was asked to come back later and try after the machine failed to accredit him at Bamaina Primary School III polling unit, in Bamaina, his country home on Saturday.
“To be sincere to you, I haven’t cast my vote up till now after giving my PVC to the election officials for accreditation.
“The BIVAS could neither recognise my face nor my fingerprint after trying about four to five times.
“But I will come back later whether the machine might be able to recognise my face or fingerprint,” Lamido said.
He, however, acknowledged the BVAS’ failure to accredit him as human error, adding that, “in all human endeavours, there must be one problem or another.”
He added: “In all human endeavours, there is problem here and there, it is a human error and there is no way INEC can be perfect 100 per cent, it is not possible, it is a human lapse and I do understand that.”
On chances of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, winning the election, the former governor said: “Why do you form a political party? To loose? Is that the purpose?”
According to him, the PDP had campaigned and gone round to canvass for votes and that it had done a lot in the state (Jigawa), had political history and legacy.
Lamido, therefore, said it was voters that would do the ultimate judgement by voting their choice.
Also, asked about level of development attained so far after 24 years of democracy, he noted that it took time and every election came with its own challenges, which lessons were learnt from.
“And I’m sure if you look back at where we were 24 years ago, there is much development; we are improving and democracy takes time, patience, tolerance, discipline and commitment to develop,” he said..
Also asked on impact of the current cash crunch and naira redesign on the electoral process, Lamido said: “What has cash got to do with elections, election is one thing and social life is another, they’re two different things.
“You see, we are a country governed by law and order, there was an election and a party called APC formed a government. So the policy of APC in government is their own policy not mine.
“It is a policy for all Nigerians because they are the government which Nigerian people voted for. So, if people are suffering, it is out of their own choice.”
The former governor, however, said there was a hope in Nigeria and the younger generation believed in the nation.
“There is hope in Nigeria, I’m old and gradually we retire and the younger generation will take over.
“And I see vibrancy, I see expectations in the younger generation, their eyes are sparkling because they believe in Nigeria and have future in Nigeria.”
Source: NAN
