The Nation Newspaper

Tag: ‘e-voting

  • Applause for e-voting

    Applause for e-voting

    The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), lecturers, old and students of the Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo State which was recently upgraded to a university, have commended the electronic voting system adopted for the conduct of the Students Union election held on Monday.

    Speaking while monitoring the exercise, the Vice President, NANS National Affairs, Comrade Ayenuro Gbenga, described it as good innovation capable of bringing credibility to the electoral process and urged other institutions to adopt the e-voting system.

    He praised the institution’s management for ensuring the process was peaceful, and the students for participating actively in the exercise.

    Commenting on advantage of e-voting, the Provost, Prof Olukoya Ogen, said that it helped prevent tensions sometimes observed during the conduct of Students’ Union election.

    Ogen commended the project Manager, Integrated Communication Network, Mr. Ola Ojajuni, an engineer as well as members of staff of the institution’s Management Information System (MIS) for ensuring its success.

    At the end of the election,  Adeyemi  Ogunrotifa, who polled 1006 votes  was declared winner by the Chairman of the Student Independent Electoral Commission (SIECO), Aderemi Kehinde.

    Ogunrotifa defeated three other candidates, Olufemi Babatunde (668), Ajala Festus (623) and Adekalu Ayodele (159).

    Temitope  Oluwatoba was declared vice president,  Oluranti Kolawole, General Secretary, and Babatunde Akinremi, Director of Social and Culture.

    Also elected were Wasiu Olaleke (Deputy Director of Welfare); Babatunde Abdulraman (Director of Welfare); Akinwumi Benson (treasurer); Yusuf Abeeb Afingba (Public Relations Officer); Oloni Ayodeji (Assistant General Secretary); Adesoji Adewale (Director of Finance) and Oyasola Adeyinka (Director of Sport and Recreation).

    The Provost congratulated the winners and said he was prepared to work with them to move the institution forward.

    Ogen; the Registrar,  Mr. Felix Aderinboye;  Acting Librarian, Mr. R.A Awoyemi, representatives of Security Agencies, NANS were the election observers.

  • UNICAL embraces e-voting

    UNICAL embraces e-voting

    The Students’ Union Government (SUG) election has finally been held at the University of Calabar (UNICAL). The exercise was cancelled, following the shooting of three students. STANLEY UCHEGBU (Accounting) and FRANK EJEAGBASI (400-Level Medical Physiology) report.

    The wind of innovation blowing across higher institutions has hit the University of Calabar (UNICAL). For the first time, theb Students’ Union Government (SUG) election was conducted through the electronic method known as e-voting.

    Students embraced the innovation because of the violence that marred the previous election held on August 6. There was pandemonium on the campus when members of the electoral committee conducting the exercise stopped voting. Students, who were yet to vote, saw the development as an attempt to install the management’s candidates. In the ensuing melee, stray bullets hit some students, which prompted the management to postpone the election.

    About two months after, the Dean of Students’ Affairs (DSA), Prof Eyong Eyong, arranged a meeting with the Calabar University Electoral Commission (CUECO) led by Dr Anozeng Igiri and students to discuss how the election would be conducted. Although a few students turned up at the meeting but it was clear majority of them were willing to take a bet with the e-voting system.

    Prof Eyong said the management would ensure that the exercise would not be fraught with malpractices, stressing that the innovation would minimise the stress synonymous with the ballot method.

    Dr Igiri assured the students of a free and fair exercise, noting that e-voting was the only alternative for the management to avert post-election acrimony.

    On the modality of the election, Prof Eyong said only students who had paid school fees would be eligible to vote. The students, he said, would be sent a secret code via text messages on the eve of the election to enable them log into the university website from any location and vote for the candidate of their choice. He added that the votes would be monitored in a control room with agents of candidates and independent observers.

    A student, John Alawa, described the innovation as a “welcome development”, saying there would be no rancour and irregularities that usually attended manual voting.

    A day before the election, candidates moved round the campus to seek their colleagues’ support. Some took to social media, such as the Facebook, to canvass for votes and inform students about their programmes.

    At 10am on the day of the election, voting started. Some students gathered at the front of the New Library, designated for the e-voting. Others that have independent Internet source voted from the comfort of their hostels. Observers and candidates’ agents monitored the exercise in the control room. The university security personnel moved round the campus to ensure safety.

    CAMPUSLIFE observed some students mobilising colleagues to participate in the exercise. At the Faculty of Basic Medical Science, students provided laptops and Internet modem to encourage their colleagues to vote.

    President of Basic Medical Science students, Peter Akporido, said students provided computers to discourage apathy. He said: “We aware of the challenges that some of our students will be facing during the exercise. Some are not willing to participate and some may not want to go to designated voting centres. So we provided laptops with Internet to encourage them to vote.”

    This was the situation at the Faculty of Law and Clinical Science, where students floated voting centres to ensure stress-free exercise.

    About 30 minutes to end of the exercise, there were skirmishes at the Main Library voting centre, where supporters of a candidate alleged foul. They claimed that a computer operator was not sending their votes on the web. This resulted in hot argument, which almost ended in a fight but for the timely response of the security men.

    While many described the process as successful, it was inconclusive exercise for some students. Williams Usese, a student of Center of Educational Services, said part-time students were disenfranchised in the exercise. He said the secrete pin given to them could not be identified on the school’s website.

    At the male hostel, some students were seen complaining about their inability to log on with the secret code given to them. One of them, Emmanuel Ajagbe, said he was disappointed by the development.

    At 2pm, the voting ended. Dr Igiri, announcing the result, said a total of 1,171 students participated. Having polled 682 votes, Emmanuel Ajang, a Law student, was declared the president-elect. He defeated his two opponents, Emmanuel Akaobi and Nelson Akaobi, both from Faculty of Science.

    Inemesit Akpan, a student of Faculty of Allied Medical Science, beat Blessing Henshaw and Jennifer Oworhji with 617 votes to become the Vice President-elect.

    Others elected include Brenda Nsisong, Director of Sports; Chima Akpelu, Director of Information; Paschal Aniah, General Secretary; John Alawa, Director of Welfare; Michael Okon, Financial Secretary and Michael Okori, Assistant General Secretary.

    Reacting to the development, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof James Epoke, praised the electoral committee members for the success of the exercise, saying the e-voting had ended an era of electoral irregularities in the school.

  • IBB varsity joins e-voting train

    Students of the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBBU) in Lapai, Niger State have elected their union leaders. It is the first time they have done so through electronic voting, reports YINKA OLATUNBOSUN (400-Level Chemistry).

    Students of the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBBU) in Lapai, Niger State have embraced the electronic method of voting.

    Last Tuesday, they elected their leaders through e-voting. The exercise was conducted by graduates of the institution. The Computer Science graduates used the facilities of the SERVICOM unit to collect data of students and develop a software, which synchronised all the data into a single domain.

    Afterwards, usernames and passwords were generated for the registered students. The log in details could only be used once. Students who did not show up for data capturing were not allowed to vote.

    The exercise was adjudged the best in the history of the university. There were independent observers, who monitored the exercise to ensure transparency.

    The electioneering started with a night of manifesto at the University Lecture Theatre, where the candidates sold their programmes to the students. The event was not without jeering by some students, who booed some of the candidates who they described as “management stooges”.

    At  7:30am on the election day, students flocked to the campus to cast vote. At exactly 9:48am, voting began.  Candidates’ agents, officials of the Students’ Affairs Division, journalists from various media organisations and school security personnel monitored the exercise.

    Dr Ebenezer Ogungbe, SERVICOM’s focal officer and returning officer of the election, said the innovation made the exercise  peaceful and rancor-free, promising that there would be improvement in subsequent elections.

    An electoral committee member, Dr Aliyu Maali, said the e-voting method would end the insinuation that management always imposed its preferred candidates on students. He said: “The voting method is transparent and it is clear to the world. Before the election, we received reports from various quarters that the management was trying to influence the exercise and impose candidates on students. We decided to use e-voting method to avoid any manipulation and put a stop to all speculations.”

    However, Suleiman Abdullahi, 200-Level Computer Science and a poll agent, said his candidate was skeptical about the electronic method, saying: “He felt there could be manipulation and this was why he chose me, a Computer Science student, to observe for him.”

    The voting ended at 7:06pm. The announcement of results by Dr Ogungbe followed a few minutes later. It was gathered that, of the 3,216 that registered for the e-voting, only 1,540 voted. More than 3,665 students did not participate in the exercise.

    Having garnered the highest number of votes, Bashir Shuiabu, an Economics student, was returned as the president-elect. Others elected include Fatima Kutigi, Vice-President; Salihu Saidu, General Secretary;  Abdulmajid Abubakar, Assistant General Secretary and Mahmud Muhammad, Financial Secretary.

    Others are Abubakar Yahaya Bida, Treasurer;  Sani Abubakar, Director of Socials; Bashir Abayomi, Director of Sport and Abubakar Ahmed Yerima, Welfare Director.

    Two representatives were elected from each faculty and hostels into the Students’ Representative Council – the legislative arm of the union.

    Meanwhile, the exercise was not without hitches. There were complaints about the number of laptops used for the exercise. While majority of students hailed the process, some urged the management to provide more computers to make the subsequent election faster.

    Attairu Ibrahim Edda, a student, said the software did not allow any student to vote twice. He praised the software developer for ensuring students choose their representative in a fair contest.

    The chairman of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, Niger State chapter, Comrade Munirudeen Oladipupo, who observed the election, hailed the management for conducting what he called “a credible exercise”.

    He said the students’ innovative idea in building software to conduct election showed there was hope for the country as the nation approaches the 2015 general election.

    After the results were announced, some students were seen dancing round the campus with the president-elect. One of them said: “At first, we did not trust the credibility of the e-voting method because there were rumour that the process could be manipulated in favour of an anointed candidate. But we glorify Almighty Allah for the outcome because our will prevailed in the end.”

  • Romance with e-voting

    Romance with e-voting

    Students of the Federal University of Agriculture in Abeokuta (FUNAAB) have elected their union leaders through electronic voting, reports ABIOLA SOLANKE.

    For the first time, students of the Federal University of Agriculture in Abeokuta (FUNAAB) elected their leaders through electronic voting. The exercise, which was conducted by the Information and Communication Technology (ICTREC) unit of the university, was adjudged successful by students.

    The electioneering started with a debate organised by Top-Notch Writers Organisation, a literary students’ club for the nine aspiring to be the union president. The chairman of the Presidential Debate Committee, Oluwafemi Aliu, said the debate was to test the aspirants’ intellectual ability and activism.

    The debate was followed by a press conference organised by the media team of the electoral committee, where students were informed about the modalities of the election. The conference was attended by all aspirants and students.

    According to the leader of the media team, Solanke Abiola, the process would afford students opportunity to choose the best candidates freely in a free and fair process.

    The following day, a manifesto day was held for the candidates to sell their programmes to students. This was held in the multipurpose hall of the university. The manifesto was not without jeering by the audience, who booed some aspirants to disapprove their candidature.

    On the day of the election, students trooped en mass to the Mahmood Yakub Lecture Hall at 9am for accreditation. By 11:22am, the voting commenced at the 500-capacity computer laboratory. Students were given a code to login and vote for their candidate of choice, while agents of respective contestants monitored the exercise.

    A staff of the ICTREC, Mrs P.A. Aiyelotan described the exercise as peaceful and orderly, promising that there would be improvement in subsequent exercise.

    The election ended at 4:26pm. The chairman of the electoral committee, Olumide Ajulo, announced result a few minutes later.

    It was gathered that 3,915 voted. The electoral committee declared Olawale Olajumoke, an Animal Physiology student, as the president-elect, having polled the highest number of votes. Others elected include Oluwafunmilayo Olaoye, Vice President, Samuel Opaleye, General Secretary, Ebunoluwa Oyedokun, Assistant General Secretary, Seun Akosile, Public Relations Officer, Oluwatobi Okaigbua, Social Director, Habeeb Tijani, Welfare/Business Director, Kayode Oluwaseun, Director of Finance, and Anjola Shoge, Secretary of Treasury.

    While many students hailed the process as successful, some complained about their inability to log in with the code they were given. Solomon Ayodele, a student, decried the log in problem, saying several students may have changed their mind to vote because of the problem.

    He said: “I was in the hall for more than 30 minutes and unable to login because the page was not loading. I observed that some of my colleagues could not vote due to the wrong codes given to them. But then, the process was peaceful and free. I hope the problem would be rectified before the next election.”

  • Oyo College adopts e-voting

    In what appeared to be an innovation in state-owned institutions in Oyo State, the college has organised the first e-voting for aspirants in the Students’ Union Government (SUG).

    The election, which started at 9.00am at the college’s ICT Centre, had members of  past management team in attendance, including 22 observers, electoral committee members, election monitoring team, men of the State Security Services (SSS), security operatives and polling agents of the candidates.

    The observers, monitoring team and electoral committee who were drawn from students, lecturers and administrative staff lauded the initiative of the school management on the adoption of electronic voting system. Some of the students after casting their votes also praised the Provost, Prof. Gbemiga Adewale for the introduction of electronic system of voting in the college.

    Joseph Oluyemi Deborah, a student of Animal Health and Production Technology Department, described Prof Gbemiga Adewale as a man of vision who was committed to students’ welfare.

    Another student, Sukurat Aminu Titilope, described the electronic system of voting as a fast, efficient and 21st century-compliant.

    An electoral observer,  Mr Gbolahan Oyelere, Ag. Head of Agricultural Extension Programme, said the voting system was peaceful, free and fair, void of rancour and hooliganism which was evident in the orderly conduct of the election.

    At the end of the election, Hassan Are Opeyemi of Animal Health Technology, HND II, emerged president, after polling 364 votes to defeat Olaide Oladipupo Lateef who had 331 votes.

    Adewale praised the efforts of the officials for the success of the election, urging students to support their leaders.

    Other winners included Mary Awoyemi, Vice president; Ridwan Ogunsola Olalekan, Financial Secretary; Ololade Adeagbo, General Secretary; Biliamin Mustapha, Assistant General Secretary; Mujeeb Adegbenro, Sports Director I; Oluwaseun Aderonke, Social Director I, Temitope Bennett, Social director II, Issac Emmanuel, Public Relations Officer; Atinuke Kayode, Treasurer; Joseph Adeyemi, Auditor.

  • National Assembly overhauls chambers over e-voting

    The House of Representatives has said the building of the third phase of the National Assembly has become more urgent following the failure of the Nigerian Communications Satellite (NigComSat) to deploy an electronic voting platform (e-voting) for the report of the review of the constitution.

    The lawmakers denied awarding the installation of a new electronic voting system to the space agency at N50 million, adding that a number of factors were responsible for bringing in NigComSat to fix the problem.

    The Chairman, House Services and Welfare Committee, Yakubu Dogsra, was responding to questions at a media interactive session yesterday. He said the contract has been awarded to Julius Berger.

     

     

     

     

  • ‘e-voting will reduce electoral fraud’

    ‘e-voting will reduce electoral fraud’

    How can the 2015 election be free and fair? It is by the use of electric voting, say some. Others are averse to the idea. To some lawyers, if e-voting will improve the process, it will be worth the while. JOHN AUSTIN UNACHUKWU reports.

    President of Common wealth Lawyers Association,

    Mrs. Boma Ozobia: If e-voting will make our election process more efficient and less susceptible to fraud and manipulation, I am all for it. It is not rocket science. Electronic voting in one form or another has been in use in different parts of the Commonwealth since the 60s. Available technology has been very successfully employed in Australia, Canada, India, the United Kingdom and Ghana. Here in Nigeria, we employed some e-voting technology in the 2011 elections and the elections that have followed since then. It is, therefore, not alien to our electoral system.

    The main challenge with e-voting is to ensure there is a clear audit trail to enable voters, candidates and other interested parties ascertain that votes were recorded as cast, allocated to the appropriate candidates and properly and accurately counted. Once the system has an audit trail with an acceptable level of integrity, the electorate will have confidence in the system, or at least the e-voting aspect of the process.

    Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) said: “It is my firm belief that a society ought not to be static. Societies must evolve, especially when the times and prevailing circumstances so dictate. Any society, which resists or exhibits any sign of allergy to change will, ultimately, relapse into a retrogressive state of anachronism.It is, therefore, my firm and fervent belief that Nigeria has come of age with regards to the use of electronic voting in the 2015 general elections.

    The argument for and against

    Although it has been canvassed by some eminent Nigerians that due to the level of illiteracy in the country, Nigeria is not ripe for the robust introduction of electronic voting into our the country, I make bold to say that illiteracy would not be a serious factor for its introduction. This is because, even the present non-electronic voting system we employ cannot be said to be illiterate-friendly in any way, since everything to be done is cast in literate language, except the voting and thumb-printing itself. It is my submission, therefore, that it is in the same way that illiterate Nigerians have coped and acclamatised with the manual voting system that they would invariably cope and acclamatise with the electronic voting system. No one has disputed or is disputing that electronic voting is efficient and discourages electoral fraud in countries that have adopted it, including countries we share common literacy indices with, e.g Ghana. I, therefore, ask, if they are using it, why not us?

    Laws vis-à-vis electronic voting

    The main laws that are of great relevance to the conduct of electronic voting and post-election matters (e.g. Election Tribunals) are the Electoral Act (2010 as Altered) and the Evidence Act (2011 as Altered). While Section 52(2) of the Electoral Act expressly prohibits the use of electronic voting, Section 84 of the Evidence Act was specifically introduced to allow for computer-generated evidence during the cause of a trial. For there to be any meaningful advancement in the introduction and use of electronic voting in Nigeria therefore, Section 52(2) of the Electoral Act must be expunged from the Act and a new section inserted to provide for the use of electronic voting in the 2015 general elections and beyond. Without such an amendment, nothing can be done to advance the cause of electronic voting.

    The first ingredient of democracy is a credible electoral system. Electronic voting ensures this as it dispenses with manual manipulation by power desperadoes who dorn the garb of politicians.

    Chief Ogwu James Onoja (SAN): “While I support all measures to bring the political class to embrace democratic reform through electoral accountability, I am afraid this country is not yet ripe for electronic voting come 2015. We should stop copying from developed democracies just what we feel is good without adverting our minds to condition precedence for application of such programmes. Politics is a game of numbers and for the well informed. How can we talk of electronic voting when the numerical strength of this country and the registered voters are matters still of speculative guess work and conjecture? The lack of proper and verifiable database of the population is a monumental impediment to introduction of electronic voting. We must also address the problem of uninformed electorate and the general illiteracy in the country before talking of electronic voting.

    In the absence an authentic national census, a well informed and educated electorate, adequate technological support, electronic voting system would only benefit two classes of Nigerians: The contractor who would get the business to dump on us fake machines from China and the political class who have learned how to manipulate the machines to rig the elections. With electronic voting, the politicians shall no longer need our votes to dominate us in the name of democracy, they will stay in their party offices and employ the teeming legions of “yahoo practitioners”

    Former Chairman NBA Abuja branch, Mr Mela Audu Nunghe said: “My reaction for the call for electronic voting at the 2015 general election is traceable to the fact that something fundamental has gone wrong. People are disenchanted over the quantum and volume of massive rigging perpetuated through the electoral process. Hence the yearning for electronic voting is predicated on the belief that it will reduce or completely eliminate rigging and enhance the credibility of our electoral process and nurture our democratic growth.

    Before the 2011 general elections, it would be recalled there was an attempt and effort in that direction to use electronic voting through the purchase of DDC machines. In my view, keeping a comprehensive electronically compiled voters list in 2011 reduced several instances of rigging and missing ballot boxes which is the mainstay of some unscrupulous politicians as compared to the 2003 and 2007 elections. And consequently it also reduced election petitions that are based on rigging, violence, stealing of ballot boxes and other vices.

    I further make bold to say that the first election (House of Representatives) of April 2, 2011 that was cancelled by Prof Attahiru Jega due to complaints of late or no arrival of voting materials would have been fairer than all the elections held in Nigeria so far.

    •In consequence of the above, I am for the electronic voting for several reasons i.e.

    •It will reduce/eliminate to a large extent rigging of election results and enhance the credibility of our electoral process.

    •It is also in consonance with global best practices and Nigeria cannot be lacking behind.

    •Initial problems will always be surmounted with a willing and determined heart. The likelihood of hitches or fear of it should not deter Nigeria from going digital in its voting process.

    •Innovations that are in accord with global best practices ought to be encouraged not withstanding teething challenges. Besides the greatest holy book says “nothing with God is impossible.”

    There are several countries in the world that have legalized their electronic electoral process such as United States of America to mention a few. Nigeria is not, both in size and population up to one state in the US where it has worked. This should encourage and not discourage the Nigerian government to practice electronic voting in 2015.

    There is enough time, if the will to amend the relevant sections of the Electoral Act and Constitution and train the relevant staff before the 2015 elections is there. I am of the opinion that sincerity on the part of the government should overtake any political consideration. The overall interest of Nigeria and the yearning and desire to develop a credible electoral process should be the drive to embarking on electronic voting in 2015.

    Chijioke Emeka: Let’s start by asking if manual voting is the problem with Nigeria’s elections? Is e-voting the answer? Now, I subscribe to any system that will ensure the integrity of elections, anything! We just have to get it right because electoral corruption is the root of all corruption! I back e-voting if it will protect the credibility of our elections.

    But is e-voting above manipulation? Is there something inherently corrupt about manual balloting? Has it not worked in some places? If it has, why is it corruption-ridden in Nigeria? It boils down to people. If the people are so desperate to corruptly swing electoral outcomes by compromising the manual system are the same people to run the e-voting machines, is there guarantee that they will not devise new methods to perpetrate even more monumental electoral heist?

    I caution first things first. There is social reorientation to work on. e-voting regime will be electricity-driven. Who controls the levers of electricity power? The same people calling for e-voting today as the panacea will tomorrow still cry out that “in the whole of Popo-Yemoja and Lagbaja LGAs there was power outage and so the entire electorate was disenfranchised! The voting machines did not work!” It will still end up in the Election Tribunal. So, when we cite Ghana we need to look at these things first. India used it. It is good but not impenetrable.

    A feature of rigging in Nigeria that is less-talked about is misleading of illiterates. Illiterates require help and polling officials mislead them. The political class is still desperate. People and not the system, to my mind, remains the bane of credible elections in Nigeria. e-voting will eliminate a lot of short-comings in the manual system. Surely, we need it. But let’s embrace it with caution.

    Existing legal regimes

    The Electoral Act clearly prohibits electronic voting. Thus the National Assembly needs to amend the Act to pave way for e-voting for the 2015 elections. If you read Section 52(2) carefully, you will see e-voting is not completely ruled out. It is deferred to when Nigeria will be ready for it. I believe the law-makers considered the prevailing challenges of power, illiteracy, corrupt orientation, desperation etc to defer it. If we are ready for it, let the Act be amended.