The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it has recovered 20 out of the 69 card readers stolen in Bayelsa State during the February 23 Presidential and National Assembly elections.
Mr Monday Udoh, INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, disclosed this at a news conference in Yenagoa on Wednesday.
Udoh, however, failed to disclose specifically how the recovered card readers were found.
“Actually, the missing card reader are 69 but as at this morning, (Wednesday), we have recovered 20. Only 49 are still missing.
“As it is now, the House of Assembly election of March 9, will not hold in wards and units where we cannot recover the card readers as directed by the commission.
“I urge those in possession of the remaining 49 card readers to return them to avoid facing the full wrath of law,” he said.
The card readers were stolen in wards and polling units in five Local Governments Areas (LGAs) of the state -Brass, Sagbama, Southern-Ijaw, Nembe and Yenagoa.
On the March 9 elections, Udoh assured that it would be orderly in the interest of the people of Bayelsa and Nigerians at large.
“After voting, there will be no collation of results at the INEC headquarters here in Yenagoa, all collation will be done at constituencies headquartres, it will start from the presiding officer in the unit to ward collation officers and then the returning officers in all the constituencies headquartres.
“We have made all arrangements to ensure that there will be not malfunction of card readers again, we have taken care of all the logistical problems, so that we don’t experience those lapses again as we had on February 23,” he said.
