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Electronic Transfer of Election Results: Only End~to~End e~Voting System Can Guarantee the Sanctity of the Ballot
Electronic Transfer of Election Results: Only End~to~End e~Voting System Can Guarantee the Sanctity of the Ballot
Prior to the All Progressives Congress winning the Presidential election, PDP never for once contemplated electronic voting or electronic transfer of election results. This was because the largely benefited from manipulating election results to their advantage.
This was clearly the case in 2011 and 2015. This manifested openly during the Presidential and Governorship elections, where you will notice over 1 million bulk vote for PDP and a paltry less than 100,000 votes for Opposition party.
Electoral Act was amended in 2010 and PDP carefully avoided electronic system.
The sanctity of our ballot system can fully be guaranteed with a complete end~to~end voting system involving capturing voting electronically from the Polling boots and transmitted in real-time to INEC central server.
To ensure one~man one~vote, biometric authentication should be the basis of verifying a voter and nothing else (Ballot papers should completely be taken out).
Technology adoption eliminates several fraudulent means of illegally milking the nation and defrauding the system, and some people would deliberated not want Technology to be fully implemented.
Let me come back home to Akwa Ibom State.
Yesterday the Bill for a Law to establish Akwa Ibom Information Technology Development Agency (AKSTIDA) was read in the State House of Assembly for a 2nd time. Some members stoutly opposed the creation of an IT agency in this Technology age. Among those strongly opposing the bill include, members representing Nsit Atai, Ikono State Constituencies and others. These are not old people but young men who should be well conversant with the import of IT in today’s world.
While the bill narrowly eventually passed the 2nd reading, one wonders if these people really won election by popular votes. (Will do an elaborate discussion on the bill and name those who opposed it).
As far as I am concerned, PDP never wanted electronic voting until now. This was why they mangled ballot papers in water in 2015 when the Election Tribunal ordered that ballot papers to be recounted.
APC government want free and fair elections, why the NASS under this regime initiated and acted upon Electoral Act, giving room for what is now a contentious issue.
I submit that I support an end~to~end electronic voting system, where winners of elections emerge from a majority vote.