Voter Registration Day 4: INEC DDC Machine Stolen-PM NEWS, Lagos

caption: ANPP candidate, Ibrahim Shekarau registers

By Eromosele Ebhomele & Jamiu Yisa

Barely  four days into the registration of eligible voters across the country,  there are reports that some of the Direct Data Capture Machines used by the  Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the exercise have been stolen and taken to unknown places .
P.M.NEWS gathered that the machines were distributed to members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) who work with the Commission as ad-hoc  registration officers.  But  yesterday, a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hodewu Avoseh, raised an alarm on the floor of the House that the  machines were already being hijacked within the state.
Avoseh, who said he was with the State Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Henry Ajomale, yesterday evening, said they received calls from  several Lagosians that some youths were going about forcefully taking away the machines to unknown destinations.
According to the lawmaker, six of the DDC machines had already been stolen as at when he was talking with his colleagues yesterday.
“Six machines have already been hijacked in various centres around Aguda, Surulere today (yesterday). So we need to ask Nigerians and the law enforcement  agents to be vigilant,” he said.
A Peoples Democratic Party senatorial aspirant for Lagos West, Mr. Moshood Adegoke Salvador, also confirmed that a DDC machine was snatched at a unit in the  state.
According to him, “One of our field men just called me now and told me that a DDC machine was stolen at Ozumba Compound in Alimosho Local Government Area.
“We also learnt that one was illegally kept at 74, Oroki Bus Stop, Isuti Road, Egan, under the pretext that its battery was flat when registration was  supposed  to be going on.”
Complaining further, he accused INEC of planning to mastermind  rigging in the forthcoming elections.  “In Ayobo-Ipaja where there are 17 registration units,  why would INEC send 26 machines to the place? What do they want to do with the remaining nine? We need to query that,” he said, adding that the problem  actually started with INEC not knowing that they were not supposed to use local government secretariats as offices for the exercise.
Mr. Salvador said if the government was serious about the ‘one man one vote’ mantra, the presidency must provide adequate security for the INEC staff and  corps members taking part in the exercise.
P.M.NEWS learnt that in Mushin area of the state, intimidation and sporadic shooting by thugs have marred the exercise.