Politics
Group Causions On Technology Application In Elections
Youth Initiatives for Advocacy, Growth and Advancement (YIAGA), a civil society organisation has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to tread slowly on technology application in electoral process.
The Executive Director of the group, Mr Samson Itodo, in a document released in Abuja, said because of its “limitations and vulnerability” technology could not guarantee credible elections.
According to Itodo, by all standards, elections are complex and capital-intensive because electoral operations, procurement, staff training and remuneration and public outreach gulp huge amounts of the election budget.
He said that the poor state of public infrastructure, including roads, institutions, energy, environment and ICT penetration, contributed to high electoral costs.
Itodo said though a plausible argument, high cost of elections in Africa was the consequence for undemocratic and flawed elections recorded on the continent.
“Simply put, countries are spending more on elections due to low level of electoral integrity hence the reliance on technology to eliminate all forms of electoral heist and irregularity.
“It is common practice for election management bodies in Africa to leverage on technology for voter registration, voter identification or accreditation, electronic tallying and transmission of results.”
He said that different election stakeholders such as companies, civil society groups, politicians and development partners, subject electoral commissions in Africa to intense pressure to deploy new technologies for elections.
The director said that most of the commissions yielded to these pressures without undertaking a cost-benefit analysis on the deployment of electoral technologies or its potency to guarantee credible elections.
According to him, in this era of automation, machine learning and artificial intelligence, it is foolhardy to ignore adaptation of relevant technologies and digitized electoral processes.
He said that unarguably, technology deployed for elections could eliminate human errors associated with calculating and computing of results, improve voter identification, facilitate faster and easier voting, but could lack integrity.
“Although electoral technology can enhance and undermine electoral integrity, electoral commissions must be conscious of its limitations and vulnerabilities that can also undermine it.
“The debate on whether electoral technology can guarantee electoral integrity is premised on the limitations of technology deployment in Africa.
“Experience shows that electoral technology is vulnerable to failure, interference, and security breaches.
“Recent reports of cyber propaganda, warfare and election interference strengthen the argument that electoral technology can potentially de-legitimise elections.”
Itodo pointed out that without checks and oversight, heads of ICT departments in electoral commissions could become kingmakers by subverting the will of the people through a ‘click’ resulting to computer-generated leaders.
He said that there were growing apprehension and suspicion with the deployment of technology in electoral processes in Africa, adding that most people did not trust electoral technology due to its limitations.
He said that in Kenya, Raila Odinga alleged system logs on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), suggesting possible infiltration of the commission’s electronic system of tallying of results.
Itodo added that the then opposition Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) was similarly accused of hacking into the system of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) to alter election results.
He, however, advised electoral commissions to secure public consent and approval in their quest to deploy technology for elections, saying that it would boost citizens’ trust in the process thereby deepening electoral integrity.
The Tide source reports that Prof. Akinoso was elected alongside 38 other executive members of the party at the congress held on Saturday.
Other executive members are Dr Abiola Olaonipekun, who emerged as Secretary, Alhaja Latifah Latifu, Women Leader and Mr A. Adeleke, elected as Youth Leader.
It was learnt that the congress, which took place at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Oke Ado in Ibadan, was attended by representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Police, other security agencies and prominent members of the party.
The election was supervised by electoral committee members, among whom were Prince Diran Odeyemi, who served as Chairman, Hon. Awoniyi Tolulope, Mr Babatunde Gbadamosi, Queen Stepheine Oyechere, Alhaji Yusuf Abidakun, Mr Olumide Aguda and Dr Phillips Adeniyi, who served as Secretary.
Prof. Akinoso, in his inaugural address, urged members of the party to set aside intra-party differences.
He advised them to concentrate their resources on the promotion of the party, saying, “The primary responsibilities of party executive members are to coordinate party activities, ensure harmony among members, and ensure party victory during general elections.
“Our immediate assignments are to key into INEC released 2027 general election time-tables. As directed by the National Caretaker Committee of PDP, our party e-membership registration starts next week. We must be fully involved and do a membership drive.
“A political party is only relevant and benefits its members if it wins the election. This is our goal. We should set aside intra-party differences; concentrate our resources towards the promotion of the party. We will make necessary consultations and dialogue to actualise this”.
President Tinubu disclosed this during an interfaith breaking of fast with senior journalists and media executives at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Saturday.
He also disclosed that his administration had opened up on the principles of true federalism to the extent that local governments now get direct allocation from the Federal Government.
“There’s no morning that I ever leave my house without going through the newspapers. It’s an addiction. I read all of you.
“It might not be in full detail, but headline, the one that would hit me and the ones that won’t.
“At the beginning of this administration, I was just a little bit stubborn, looking at opportunities to correct things and make life more easier for the downtrodden.
“We’ve opened up the principle of federalism to the extent that local governments are now getting their money, but how they use it is in your hands. So, don’t bombard me alone,” President Tinubu said.
The ruling party said the ADC had turned criticism of the APC-led administration into its operating manifesto instead of presenting concrete solutions to Nigeria’s economic challenges.
In a statement issued on Saturday by the APC National Publicity Secretary, Mr Felix Morka, the party dismissed the ADC’s interpretation of a report presented at a policy dialogue organised by Agora Policy which suggested that the country’s poverty rate had risen from 49 per cent to 63 per cent.
Mr Morka said the opposition party’s reaction to the report as a “damning verdict” on the government’s economic policies reflected either ignorance of economic realities or deliberate political mischief.
“The African Democratic Congress’ attempt to spin a recent report presented at the Agora Policy dialogue indicating a rise of poverty rate of 63 per cent from 49 per cent as a damning verdict on this administration’s economic policies speaks either to its shocking ignorance of economic policy or its wilful blindness to the justification for, and transformative impacts of, ongoing economic reforms,” he said.
The APC spokesman noted that the report itself recognised the necessity of reforms aimed at correcting long-standing structural distortions in the economy.
According to him, the ADC had failed to present any credible alternative policy direction for Nigerians.
“Clearly, the ADC does not recognise itself as a political party. The ADC has not articulated a single alternative policy position or prescription of benefit to Nigerians. Condemning the APC and its policies has become its operating manifesto,” Mr Morka said.
He explained that major economic decisions taken by President Bola Tinubu, including the removal of fuel subsidy and the unification of multiple foreign exchange windows, were necessary steps to rescue the country’s economy from collapse.
Mr Morka said the subsidy regime had for years placed a heavy burden on public finances, consuming trillions of naira annually while encouraging corruption, fuel smuggling and inefficiencies in the system.
He added that the reforms had helped redirect national resources to key sectors such as infrastructure, healthcare, education and social development.
The APC spokesman acknowledged that economic reforms often come with short-term hardship but stressed that the measures were essential to build a stronger and more resilient economy.
“Economic reform is never cost-free anywhere in the world. The transient hardship experienced by Nigerians was an inevitable cost of reforms meant to build and guarantee a better future for all Nigerians,” he said.
Mr Morka maintained that the country’s economic outlook was already improving, citing recent growth figures and stronger external reserves.
“Our economy has rebounded and is expanding steadily. The country’s Gross Domestic Product grew by 4.4 per cent last year and is projected to expand by 5.5 per cent this fiscal year, with foreign reserves now exceeding $50 billion,” he stated.
He also pointed to government initiatives designed to cushion the effects of economic adjustments on citizens, including cash transfer programmes, student loan schemes and the rollout of compressed natural gas (CNG) initiatives to reduce transportation costs.
Mr Morka reaffirmed that the APC-led administration would remain focused on rebuilding the economy and expanding social investments to support vulnerable Nigerians.