Reactions Trail Move To Use Body Odour For Biometric Identifications In Elections

By Uche Mbah

Reactions are beginning to trail the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) consideration of adopting of ‘body odour’ as one of its biometric identifiers for voters during elections.

During his presentation at the Chatham House, London, Tuesday, INEC Chairman, Mahmud Yakubu said that the Commission’s technologists recommended the use of body odour for biometric identifications during elections.

INEC had upgraded its identity verification system from the Automated Fingerprint Identification Software (AFIS) to the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS). Yakubu, however, said he advised them to make haste slowly.

“The clean up of the (voter) register was painstakingly conducted by the commission because the automated biometric identification system (ABIS)…before now the commission used the fingerprint identification system but this time around, we used the ABIS, meaning both fingerprint and facial, and that is what we are also using to accredit voters on Election Day”, he said.

“And all these innovations were all the work of INEC’s own in-house engineers in the commission, the machines may have been fabricated outside the country but the design of the machines were done by our own engineers in-house.

“In fact, one of them said they’re going to introduce a new biometric using body odour. I said please not yet. Let’s make haste slowly but when he explained it to me, it sounded logical. He said, don’t laugh, chairman, because I said body odour. It is also biometric. He said, how does your dog recognize you? It is from your body odour and that’s why if another person walks into the house it barks, when you move into the house, it wags its tail because it recognizes your body odour, I said but for elections let’s wait.”

Meanwhile, reactions have been trailing the INEC Chairman’s announcement.

John Okoyea twitter user, twitted:

“INEC is very serious in this coming election by including body odor. Peter Obi pls speed off your takeover scripts.”

Ihejirica Jude C, wrote on Facebook:

“Funny people, they are really looking for a way to rig this election”.

Daniel Meshak, also wrote on Facebook:

“Nothing person no go hear for this 2023 election matter. Just to select good leaders body odour don enter the matter”.