SIR: The 2023 general elections will witness a lot of intricacies but one concept that may just be the major game changer in the elections is the role technology will play in determining the credibility and transparency of the process.
The marked success in the deployment of technological innovations like the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and Results Viewing Portal is a huge sign that the election management process is steadily improving. Also, the recent revelation by the chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Prof Mahmood Yakubu that there were several attempts to hack its system during the Ekiti and Osun Governorship election is another sign that the commission seem to be armed to manage its electoral technology.
At the moment, Nigerians are gradually bidding farewell to the dark days when the voter register was infested with foreign names and those days where election results are being announced while voting is still ongoing. Recalling the dark days of Nigeria’s electoral journey and how the innovations introduced by the electoral management body including the IREV and BVAS, has enabled the nation move light years away from its electoral debacle is also worthy of mention.
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Apart from voting, results management is easily the most critical aspect of election administration as voting is an open and public activity, while results management is usually run by a few election officials, mostly outside the glare of the public. Thus, there is need to promote its transparency in the best possible way.
Other innovations that seem to have enhanced the system include, biometric voter registration, computer-based registration of voters, online pre-registration, Permanent Voters’ Card (PVC) with chip, creating online portals for candidates, observers and political party agents amongst others have gone a long way to standardize Nigeria’s election management system.
While this remains a work in progress towards achieving an election that reaches global standard for credibility and integrity, Nigerians must appreciate its journey towards substantial deployment of electoral technology. Right from 2011, the electoral commission showed its commitment in improving the conduct of elections while leveraging on technology via the introduction of Smart Card Readers.
So far, the major turning point in Nigeria’s electoral process was the breakthrough that came with the new Electoral Act 2022, which empowered the commission to adopt electronic means for both accreditation and results management. Indeed, the persistence of the commission on these issues, particularly in the management of results are now well-expressed in extant legal framework, administrative procedures and technological innovations. It is however imperative that while election stakeholders revel over technology, the innovations does not entirely jettison the manual process, rather it serves as an effective quality assurance and standardization gauge in electoral administration.
- Olasupo Abideen,
abideenolasupo@gmail.com