The
Independent National Electoral Commission has said that it would be
“practically impossible to adopt the electronic voting model in the 2015
general election even if the National Assembly were to lift the
prohibition on its usage.”
The commission however stated that with regard to improving the integrity of the elections, it would deploy Card Readers to establish that whoever presented himself/herself at a polling unit on election day was the true and genuine owner of such a card.
The INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, according to INEC Bulletin Volume 1 N0. 610 made available to journalists on Thursday in Abuja, ruled out the use of e-voting in the 2015 polls during a courtesy call on him by the Netherlands Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. John Groffen.
He observed that the unsavoury practice in the past was for politicians to purchase voter cards and transfer to others.But Jega said the Card Readers would foreclose such a possibility, “thereby bringing substantial improvement on the integrity of the process.”
According to him, the commission was preparing to conduct elections in all parts of Nigeria with the hope that sufficient normalcy would have returned adding that the issue of security was not INEC’s responsibility.He said, “These issues of security are not in our hands. Determination of security issues is that of security agencies and we have to rely on their expertise and advices.”
Jega also told the delegation that INEC was working with the security agencies to improve on security matters concerning the elections adding that using the platform of the Interagency Consultative Committee on Election Security, the commission had helped in bringing about stronger coordination and smoothened interservice rivalry among the security agencies.
Speaking on the time table and schedule of activities for the 2015 general elections which was recently made public, Jega said even though INEC appreciated it could not satisfy all Nigerians, it was still the product of “deep and rational thinking”.
He insisted that it was not informed by the need to favour or disadvantage any person.
“The timetable benefitted from deep and rational thinking. The law empowers the commission to issue a timetable. And there is no way we can satisfy all politicians. The ideal thing is to have a timetable for which there is consensus. But this is impossible. I would like to assure you that we issued the timetable based on our consideration without regards to favouring or disadvantaging any-one”, Jega emphasized.
In his speech, Groffen, on whose delegation was the Director (Sub-Saharan Africa Department), Mr. Michael Stibbe, said his visit which was the second in one month underlined the importance his country attached to the 2015.
He said Netherlands was desirous of engaging with INEC so as to contribute towards its success in conducting the fairest elections in Nigerian history.
The commission however stated that with regard to improving the integrity of the elections, it would deploy Card Readers to establish that whoever presented himself/herself at a polling unit on election day was the true and genuine owner of such a card.
The INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, according to INEC Bulletin Volume 1 N0. 610 made available to journalists on Thursday in Abuja, ruled out the use of e-voting in the 2015 polls during a courtesy call on him by the Netherlands Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. John Groffen.
He observed that the unsavoury practice in the past was for politicians to purchase voter cards and transfer to others.But Jega said the Card Readers would foreclose such a possibility, “thereby bringing substantial improvement on the integrity of the process.”
According to him, the commission was preparing to conduct elections in all parts of Nigeria with the hope that sufficient normalcy would have returned adding that the issue of security was not INEC’s responsibility.He said, “These issues of security are not in our hands. Determination of security issues is that of security agencies and we have to rely on their expertise and advices.”
Jega also told the delegation that INEC was working with the security agencies to improve on security matters concerning the elections adding that using the platform of the Interagency Consultative Committee on Election Security, the commission had helped in bringing about stronger coordination and smoothened interservice rivalry among the security agencies.
Speaking on the time table and schedule of activities for the 2015 general elections which was recently made public, Jega said even though INEC appreciated it could not satisfy all Nigerians, it was still the product of “deep and rational thinking”.
He insisted that it was not informed by the need to favour or disadvantage any person.
“The timetable benefitted from deep and rational thinking. The law empowers the commission to issue a timetable. And there is no way we can satisfy all politicians. The ideal thing is to have a timetable for which there is consensus. But this is impossible. I would like to assure you that we issued the timetable based on our consideration without regards to favouring or disadvantaging any-one”, Jega emphasized.
In his speech, Groffen, on whose delegation was the Director (Sub-Saharan Africa Department), Mr. Michael Stibbe, said his visit which was the second in one month underlined the importance his country attached to the 2015.
He said Netherlands was desirous of engaging with INEC so as to contribute towards its success in conducting the fairest elections in Nigerian history.
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