The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is to push for more technology in the electoral process with a view to ensuring transparency in elections,the commission’s acting chairman, Hajiya Amina Bala Zakari, has said.
Hajiya Zakari told Channels Television that the reforms that came with the last elections “are here to stay.”
She particularly hailed the introduction of the smart card reader saying: “ the card reader is one of the best things to happen to Nigeria, and we are going to continue to push for the use of the card reader through our elections and even if we go beyond the card reader, to have more technology into our electoral process because it ensures transparency and efficiency of the process.”
She promised that the Commission would do all within its power to ensure maximum turn out and participation during the forthcoming Kogi and Bayelsa Governorship elections.
“We would try to sensitize the Kogi people and Bayelsa people to come out and register those that just turned 18. I am sure the numbers would not be high because we have worked out a lot throughout 2014 we will still do our best to make sure nobody is disfranchised through PVC or voter registration,” she said.
On the procurement of materials for the forthcoming elections, she said the agency was already “taking an audit to see what we need, and basically it’s not much we need for bye-elections.”
“We are soon going to begin sourcing for ad-hoc staff and training them because we have good time and we should be able to deliver good elections,” she added.
When asked about INEC’s readiness to conduct elections in the two states termed “flash points” according to National Human Rights Commission, the Acting Chairman said that these are normal challenges which the Commission faces.
She said:“During the era of the Niger-Delta militants we still held elections in those areas; we have held elections in Borno state, Yobe and Adamawa. These are the challenges the Commission is faced with but because we have good working experience with the security agencies through the Inter Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security with whom we hold periodic meetings, quarterly meetings we have been able to overcome most of these challenges.”