Nigerian Senate’s decision to grant the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) the power to implement the electronic transmission of election results has continued to receive applause from Nigerians.
Former INEC Chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega, has said that this development will ensure a substantial reduction in electoral fraud that has marred previous elections.
Jega stated this during a recent press briefing at the ongoing ECOWAS Parliament’s High-level Seminar in Winneba, Ghana, themed “Two Decades of Democratic Elections in ECOWAS Member States: Achievements, Challenges, Challenges and the Way Forward.”
The seminar aims to recommend solutions to electoral inconsistencies in Member States.
Jega commended the passage of the bill by the National Assembly which now empowers INEC to transmit results electronically and said it was a great development as Nigeria counts down to the 2023 elections.
He disclosed that the development was one of the legal structures that would guarantee credible elections in Nigeria.
Jega said: “I have no doubt that Nigeria has the competence and capacity to implement electronic transmission of results.
“Since 2012, INEC has been piloting an electronic transmission of result system with robust software, with robust security, and they have piloted it in many elections.
“I am happy now that the National Assembly has agreed for this to be done and has created the legal framework
“One of the major areas where fraud takes place in the elections of Nigeria is in the transmission of results manually.
“From the polling units, to the ward level, to the constituency level, electronic transmission of result will wipe this out.”
He also urged Nigerians to believe in the new process and added that it was wrong to hold the view that results would not be accurately transmitted without 100 percent network coverage.
He said developed countries sometimes encounter poor network challenges but once 70 percent of results can be transmitted electronically, it is a pass.
He said: “It is wrong to assume that if you cannot have 100 per cent coverage internet coverage then you cannot do electronic transmission of results, who says so?
“If you can do it in 80 per cent of the polling units, or even 70 per cent, it is still an A and you will have eliminated fraud in 70 per cent or 80 per cent of the polling units in terms of transmission.
“Even in developed countries, there are still areas where you can have challenges of internet connectivity.
“We have to accept that in these modern times, we can use technology to improve the integrity of elections and it is the only way to go.”
