Ex-INEC Rec, Mike Igini, expresses confidence voters will deliver Nigeria
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
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“The [e-transmission] results are sent to the cloud … anyone who wants to hack it should get a ladder and go to the cloud.
“Nigerians, power has been restored to you.”
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Voters are now the true election deciders with the advent of electronic transmission (e-transmission) of results from polling units so foolproof it cannot be manipulated to rig, says a veteran Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) official.
Mike Igini, former Akwa Ibom INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) who battled against ballot snatching, rigging, and physical threats on the job, reminisced on Arise TV and declared that e-transmission has restored power to Nigerians to choose their leaders in 2023 and beyond.
He expressed confidence that the e-transmission of results mandated in the Electoral Act 2022 is water-tight and now makes it impossible for elections to be rigged.
“The [e-transmission] results are sent to the cloud … anyone who wants to hack it should get a ladder and go to the cloud,” Igini said.
He explained the Presiding Officer in each polling unit would make duplicates of results for party agents which could be compared with the results uploaded to the cloud and are accessible to all Nigerians.
“Nigerians, power has been restored to you,” he declared, according to reporting by The PUNCH.
Igini advised each political party to set up a Situation Room to monitor e-transmission of results as they are being uploaded to the cloud after the completion of voting and vote counting in each polling unit.
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INEC insists on e-transmission to prevent vote rigging
Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and e-transmission of results will be strictly adhered to in the 2023 ballot to prevent rigging, INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu himself has reiterated.
He gave the assurance at a workshop INEC organised in Lagos for its press corps members on the Electoral Act 2022 and on INEC processes, innovations, and preparations for the 2023 general election.
Yakubu was dousing concern expressed in September by the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) which alleged secret plans by politicians to stop BVAS and e-transmission of results to enable them rig the vote.
CUPP also alleged a lawsuit has been filed at the Owerri Federal High Court to perfect the plot.
Yakubu, represented by INEC National Commissioner and Information and Voter Education Committee Chairman, Festus Okoye, insisted the goal of INEC is electoral justice to ensure voters have electoral fulfilment.
He pledged INEC would continue to use technology to improve and enhance the credibility of elections.
“The Commission is conscious that a credible voter register is a basic requirement for the conduct of a credible election. We have therefore devoted time and energy to cleaning up of the voter register using the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS),” Yakubu said.
“This process is almost finalized and the Commission will engage with stakeholders relating to its findings before displaying the register for claims and objections as required by law.
“Furthermore, the Commission is working out a protocol for seamless collection of Permanent Voters Cards [PVCs] by valid registrants.
“I want to assure Nigerians that the Commission will deploy and continue to deploy appropriate technology for the conduct of elections.
“The Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and INEC Result Viewing Portal (IreV) will be deployed for the conduct of the 2023 general election.
“We will continue to use technology to improve and enhance the credibility of elections in Nigeria. Our goal is electoral justice where every Nigerian will experience electoral fulfilment.”