By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
Apparently to avoid litigations to challenge the outcome of elections conducted with the aids of technology, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has appealed to the National Assembly (NASS) to grant it the power to determine what technology to deploy for elections at the appropriate time.
Specifically, INEC has requested the parliament to make broad provisions of the law that will empower the Commission to continue to innovate without restricting it to a specific technology such as the Smart Card Reader which could in due course become obsolete, inapplicable or irrelevant.
INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu
made these demands at the meeting of the Senate and House of Representatives Conference Committee on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2021 on Thursday in Abuja.
Yakubu appreciated the decision of the NASS to empower INEC to determine and deploy appropriate technology in future elections, saying it is one of the progressive decisions by the Nigerian apex legislature.
He said the commission is looking forward to the conclusion of the process of harmonising the Electoral Act Amendment Bill without which, INEC cannot make the regulations and guidelines to give effect to the provisions of the law, stressing that the speedy passage of the Bill will be in the best interest of the electoral process.
Said he: “Without the Regulations and Guidelines, we cannot finalise on the manuals for the training of officials that will conduct elections. There are extensive provisions in the current Bill that require clear guidance by the Commission.
“With only 484 days until the 2023 General Election, time is of the essence. In addition to the Anambra State Governorship election holding on 6th November 2021, the Commission has already scheduled three major elections to be conducted next year.
“First is the Area Council election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) holding on 12th February 2022, followed by the Ekiti Governorship election on 18th June 2022 and the Osun Governorship election a month later on 16th July 2022. The Commission also has five pending bye-elections made up of three Federal Constituencies and two State Constituencies to contend with”.
Speaking further he said: “I want to assure you that in a proactive manner, the Commission has been studying aspects of the amendment Bill and identifying areas that require the formulation of regulations and guidelines as well as the review of prescribed forms for implementation. This will enable the Commission to test-run procedures and pilot innovations ahead of the 2023 General Election”.
