Politics
Electronic Transmission Of Results, In Whose Interest?
“I am not in support of electronic transmission of results. We are not ready. It is best if we are equipped and ready to secure the website that nobody can hack. If we say for 2023, we are going to transmit results electronically, is it possible? Everybody knows that it is only the person with the highest number of votes that will get it. So, results should be announced at the polling units and collation centres, where applicable. Let us not start what we cannot do.”
That was the position
proudly made public by a Distinguished Senator of the Federal Republic representing Bauchi South Senatorial District of Bauchi State.
As the agency that bears much of the difficulties and collateral consequences associated with manual collation and transmission of votes at elections, over the years, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had expressed preference for the adoption of electronic results by electronic means. Against this backdrop, Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, had urged the National Assembly to amend the Constitution and the Electoral Act 2010 to allow for electronic collation and transmission of results; arguing that the manual method enshrined in the laws is too cumbersome and expensive.
“We have to also address our electoral process which is manual. It is too expensive and cumbersome. The process of collating results is sometimes chaotic because the law says that you must write results manually and collate them manually right from the polling unit to the ward, from the ward to the local government, then, the state and from the state to the national level, in the case of the presidential election. “A lot has been achieved in other climes with the simple application of technology. So, the encumbrances to the deployment of technology in the transmission of election results should be removed as part of this process”, the INEC boss said as part of his submission to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
Last week, Nigerians’ expectation for the bill to be passed into law by the Senate was dashed as controversy arose amongst the lawmakers with the questionable appearance of a strange Section 50 (2) which completely outlaws transmission of votes by electronic means.
The contentious provision states that voting at an election under this Bill shall be in accordance with the procedures determined by the commission, which may include electronic voting provided that the commission shall not transmit results of the election by electronic means.”
Of course, the report of the Senate Committee on INEC, led by Sen. Kabiru Gaya, which prepared the bill did not make it to plenary until last Wednesday as some members of the committee threatened to raise objection on the floor of the senate unless the offensive section was expunged and the version to be laid before the senate faithfully corresponds with what they collectively signed up to.
The question Nigerians have since been asking is, who is afraid of electronic transmission of election results and why? With admirable results already recorded on the electronic transmission of election results by INEC in some previous elections including the September, 2020 Edo State governorship election, Nigerians are wondering why anyone would hinder the full scale and unfettered application of appropriate and requisite technology in our electoral system, especially seeing that the electoral body itself has not indicated lack of capacity, inability or unwillingness to undertake the process.
Yet the Chairman, Senate Committee on Army, Senator Ali Ndume, is reported to have said that electronic voting and transmission of election results will not work in the northern part of the country come 2023.
“As a member of the Senate, I am talking realistically, the issue of electronic voting is futuristic, but not realistic for us in the north, particularly. Can you do electronic voting or transmission of results without electricity? The answer is no; he said. According to Senator Ndume, who represents Borno South Senatorial District, the adoption of electronic voting and transmission of results will render the electoral process vulnerable adding that while he was determined to stand against the electronic means, himself and his people were comfortable with the writing of results in hard copies.
“What they are trying to do is to make the election vulnerable. Supposing somebody drops a virus in the process, supposing somebody desfroys the collation centre or attacks the server, what will happen?”, he reasoned, insisting that the envisaged benefits of reduced tension, killing and election rigging were untenable, people rig election only where they are already popular.
“Infact, electronic voting is more susceptible to manipulation… So, we don’t want to get involved in that, particularly we, the northern senators, because we are the ones that don’t have the facilities or the infrastructure that is required to conduct electronic voting … So you are saying that we should go through electronic voting for what? Let’s go out and vote the way we have been voting before”, Senator Ndume insisted.
Reacting to questions on the subject matter, erstwhile INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega said, “once there is a robust software and hardware for doing so, it now brings efficiency, transparency and real time ability to see the result as they are transmitted from the polling unit to a National Collation Centre”, however adding that “there are so many challenges in our country. For one to be able to do effective, thorough electronic voting, you need the infrastructure, software and associated support infrastructure. For example, stability of electricity, extensive network coverage and robust internet facilities,” and advised Nigerians to “make haste slowly”.
Yet, individuals and stakeholder groups like the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) have expressed the view that the process of collating results had been usually chaotic, vulnerable to manipulation, sometimes violently disrupted and needlessly shrouded, adding that it was to cure this that the electronic transmission of results got endorsement from a wide range of stakeholders, during the public hearings embarked upon by the National Assembly as part of the process to amend the Electoral Act.
“It will eliminate interference by security agents, politicians and even thugs in the collation process. There will not be reason to kidnap electoral officials and snatch ballot materials”, Director, CDD, Idayat Hassan, said, emphasising that, “In Nigerian elections, you can win during voting but lose during collation. Electronic transmission will take away the power of the Returning Officers to influence the election process”. According to Hassan, a paper format that will serve as a back up in the electronic transmission arrangement will take care of the probable incidences of a malfunction of criminal interference.
In his own reaction, Lead Director of the Centre for Social Justice, Eze Onyekpere said those who were arguing against the inclusion of the provision of electronic transmission of results were those who haboured intentions to manipulate votes during elections.
“With election transmission, there will not be any case of results missing on the way or snatching of ballot boxes. Any politician that does not want that to happen is planning to rig election”, Auwal Rafsanjani said.
A report of the joint committee on INEC in the Senate and House of Representatives which was debated yesterday was verified to read” “Section 52 (1)” Voting at an election under this Bill shall be by open secret ballot.
“52 (2) voting at an election under this Bill shall be in accordance with the procedure determined by the Commission, which may include electronic voting.
“52 (3) The commission may transmit results of elections by electronic means where and when practicable”.
Whichever way the National Assembly chooses to swing, Nigerians just don’t want to continue with the system that threatens the lives, livelihoods, mandate and stability of the democratic system at every election season. This, they hope, will be achieved for me them through the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2021.
By: Opaka Dokubo
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.