Stakeholders push for legal framework, tech to boost election credibility
In a recent event titled “Election Technology in Nigeria: Challenges and Prospects,” organized by the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room in Abuja, key stakeholders emphasized the need for a stable legal framework and the integration of technology to ensure credible elections in Nigeria.
Bar. Festus Okoye, a former National Commissioner with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), highlighted that these measures are essential to upholding democracy and ensuring a transparent electoral process.
Bar. Okoye, underscored the importance of maintaining a clean voter’s register that accurately captures eligible voters and the need for well-structured political parties. “There must be an end-to-end technology and logistics system to eliminate harmful human interference in the electoral process and create a secure environment that promotes voter safety.”
Drawing from his experience observing elections in Gambia, Okoye added, “The human element is the most critical issue in the deployment of technology. In Gambia, they conducted the presidential election using drums and pebbles. Voters received a pebble, chose the political party they wanted to vote for, dropped the pebble, and left.”
He also emphasized the importance of educating officials on the use of technology in elections to ensure accurate result management that reflects the true transmitted and collected election outcomes.
Cross section of key stakeholders during the dialogue session in Abuja.
Matthew Bycredo, Governance Adviser for the UK in Nigeria, commended the timely nature of the dialogue, expressing that the recommendations from the discussion could form a basis for advocacy efforts. He further highlighted the critical role of technology in enhancing the efficiency of Nigeria’s electoral process.
Yinusa Ya’u, the Convener of the Situation Room, stated that the meeting aimed to review past experiences with the use of technology in elections, identify the gains, and develop strategies to build on these successes. He also stressed the impact of the human element in election management, emphasizing the need to foster public confidence in the integrity of Nigeria’s elections.
Ya’u remarked, “Over this period, we have gained significant experience. We have seen the potential of technology in improving the transparency and credibility of elections. While there have been notable benefits, we have also encountered numerous challenges with the deployment of technology.”
Reporting by Julian Osamoto
