Nigerian governors under the aegis of the Peoples Democratic Party Governors Forum have made a case for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be adequately equipped to deliver free, fair and transparent elections in 2023 through technology. The PDP governors arrived at this decision after their recent meeting in Bauchi State. Apart from insisting on technologically driven polls, the PDP governors opposed the direct primary election as proposed by the National Assembly in the draft Electoral Bill due to its inherent abuses.
In a communiqué signed by the chairman of the Forum and governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, the PDP governors eloquently stated: “On the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, the governors identified with the need for free, fair and credible elections in the country and called on the National Assembly to entrench electronic transmission of results of elections in the nation’s electoral jurisprudence.”
For credible poll and enduring democracy, it has become obvious that the electoral umpire must be willing to embrace full deployment of technology in its electoral process. We need to build on the progress made so far through the introduction of biodata verification and smart card readers in our past elections. We believe that INEC can experiment with e-transmission of election results using some off-season election such as the November 6 Anambra gubernatorial polls.
This will enable the electoral umpire perfect the use of the technology before the 2023 election. The PDP governors’ quest for free, fair and credible elections is commendable. Their quest is in line with the yearning of most Nigerians. It is good that the proposal is coming in the build-up to the 2023 elections. The call is timely, especially against the backdrop of fears by many Nigerians concerning the elections.
For the deepening of Nigerian democracy, there is need for fairness in the electoral process. For Nigeria to have a credible election, the Electoral Act must be thorough and transparent. How far the next election will go will depend so much on the electoral laws guiding it.
Nigeria’s successive elections have been marred by irregularities and untoward practices by the politicians and other bodies engaged in the conduct of the exercise. Any move that will enhance the credibility of the electoral process must be encouraged. Election is a barometer through which a nation’s political development is measured.
We urge the President and National Assembly to listen to the views of Nigerians on the Electoral Act, especially on electronic transmission of results. Most Nigerians believe that their votes would be made to count if the results of the 2023 polls are electronically transmitted. The argument in some quarters that some parts of the country do not have network coverage is regarded as an alibi by some politicians to rig the 2023 elections.
Since the Electoral Act will determine the success or otherwise of the 2023 elections, the credibility of the exercise will be seriously questioned if the electoral bill is signed by the President as passed by the National Assembly. The contentious clauses queried by critics and the opposition should be reviewed. There is still time to make amends. We call on the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to pay heed to the concerns of Nigerians on the bill. Let the Senate and House of Representatives consider the views of concerned Nigerians during their harmonisation exercise on the bill.
It is important to remind the President of his pledge to bequeath to Nigerians a legacy of credible electoral process. Commitment to that pledge should start with a transparent Electoral Act.
There is no alternative to democracy as manifested in free and fair elections. Anything short of credible elections in 2023, may spell doom for the country. That will be a sad story for a country that prides itself as the giant of Africa.
Political parties must be allowed to decide whether to use direct or indirect method of conducting their primaries. It is also part of their internal democratic practices. We say this because direct primary election in the country is always fraught with irregularities.
However, the success of electronic transmission of election results will depend on adequate equipment, funding and independence of INEC. Without these fundamentals, there is little the umpire can do to make our votes count.
We call on the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), telecoms and other stakeholders to ensure more internet access in rural, un-served and under-served areas of the country before the 2023 elections.