The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Anambra State, Engr. Edwin Nwatarali, has confirmed that the state has taken delivery of 5,132 card readers for Anambra State. He disclosed that the card readers will be shared three per ward to forestall rigging during the March 28 and April 11 polls.

Addressing journalists on Wednesday after a meeting with the various security agencies in the state at INEC headquarters in Awka, Nwatarali said that while each ward from the 326 electoral wards in the state will receive three card readers each, 1,000 card readers would be set aside for emergency cases.

The REC said: “We have received 5,132 card readers, and we have configured 80% of them now. I want to let you know that we are prepared for the election, and will charge the card readers overnight before the election. They are all new and expected to last at least 14 hours if fully charged.”

Nwatarali announced that security agencies in the state have affirmed their readiness to ensure peaceful and credible elections.

According to him, the security chiefs have given assurance of their preparedness as well as that of their officers and men for the task of securing the state, before, during and after the elections.

Nwatarali declared that INEC is ready for the elections. He disclosed that 22,000 ad-hoc staff have already been trained for the polls while another training is being planned to take place two weeks to the elections to refresh their minds on the job they are expected to do.

He maintained that there has been a significant improvement in the collection of Permanent Voters Card (PVCs) by registered voters in the state.

“We have distributed 79% of all the PVCs we received, and we are still waiting for 45,545 cards that are yet to be delivered to us. Some of the people who complain that they did transfer and have not gotten their cards, theirs are included in the ones we have not received, but hopefully in the next two weeks we will receive and distribute them,” Nwatarali said.

He called on those who are yet to collect their cards to visit their local government offices to do so as only those with the PVC will be allowed to vote.

Information reaching News Express has that that a total of 1,917,882 PVCs were received in the state, while only 1,355,909 have been distributed.

•Photo shows Nwatarali.