By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
For the former Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, the recently passed Electoral Act Amendment Bill by the National Assembly (NASS) which prohibits the Commission from transmitting election results electronically except with the approval of both Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) and Senate is akin to undressing a masquerade in the market place and asking it to entertain the public.
He also berated NCC for speaking from both sides of its mouth by ill-advising NASS that Nigeria’s network coverage is too poor to support electronic transmission of election results in the country.
Prof. Jega who was a guest of African Independent Television (AIT) breakfast programme ‘Kakaaki’ on Monday, insisted that with the use of technology, Nigeria’s will be better conducted than what currently obtains.
Said he:”I vehemently disagree with anyone who claims that the INEC I know has no capacity to undertake electronic transmission of election results across the country.
I want to believe that NASS members did not understand the importance of electronic transmission of election results.
You can’t do electronic voting without doing electronic transmission of results. INEC has since embraced the use of technology and has been progressing steadily to clean up our election processes. I believe NASS members were misinformed to take the decision they took. I urge them to reverse it without delay”, Prof. Jega demanded.
The former INEC boss who conducted the 2015 Presidential Election which ushered into office President Muhammadu Buhari stated clearly that manual tabulation of election results is fraught with manipulation.
Said he: “Manual tabulation of election results is fraudulently flawed and should be done away with for any serious country that desires free, fair and credible elections. Carrying election results by hand is not out only outdated but cumbersome”.
According to Prof. Jega: “Electronic transmission of election results is the way to go and I want to say that INEC has the capacity and capability to transmit election results across the country”.
He therefore called for the new Electoral Act Amendment Bill to include political parties meeting thresholds to qualify to field candidates for elections, from Local Governments election to States Assembly, Governorship, Federal Constituency, Senate seats and Presidential elections, saying that it is not every party that can field presidential candidates in every election.
