By Harry Awurumibe Editor Abuja Bureau
Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai has urged the National Assembly which recently voted against Electronic Transmission of Election Results in 2023 General Elections to revisit the issue just as he said adoption of Electronic Voting in Nigeria is the way to go.
Speaking on Channels Television breakfast programme Sunrise Daily monitored by Prompt News on Monday, against the backdrop of a successful conduct of Kaduna state Local Government Election using Electronic Voting system, he said the adoption of Electronic Voting will safe the country from all the problems that have bedevilled elections in Nigeria.
According to him him: “if the experience of Electronic Voting in the conduct of Kaduna state Local Government Elections in two occasions are anything to rely upon then Nigeria is ripe for Electronic Voting in the conduct of the National Elections”.
El-Rufai who lost his Polling Unit and Ward to the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) but won the LGA seat in the last Saturday’s Kaduna Chairmanship and Councillorship elections insists that Electronic Voting is more transparent and credible elections system.
Said he: “I am quite satisfied with the conduct of LGAs election in Kaduna state using the Electronic Voting machines and for the second time in a row. This has eliminated rigging and our people are happy that their votes now count, although I lost in my polling unit because people voted against the Councillorship candidates who didn’t do well three years ago. That’s how it should be”.
“It is extremely difficult for anyone to rig it because only your PVC card can open the machine for you to vote and it also prints out the confirmation paper that can be used to cross check the voting. We have shown the world that Electronic Voting can work in Nigeria”.
Reminded that the Senate and House of Representatives members recently voted against the transmission of election results in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill which is before President Muhammadu Buhari waiting for his assent, El-Rufai revealed that he will meet President Buhari and NASS members on the issue to convince them to consider
Electronic Voting like it’s done in Kaduna.
“It is only those who cheated to come to power that will fear Electronic Voting system. Someone who did not cheat to come to power, who has the support of the people will not be afraid of transparent elections.
“We should not even be talking about electronic transmission of election results but Electronic Voting system”.
“It’s understood by me that incumbents in
power want the status quo to remain for fear of the unknown but if you are a patriotic Nigerian you will know Electronic Voting makes people to vote smarter, secure and it will help to end voter apathy in Nigeria elections”, El-Rufai insisted.
The outspoken Kaduna Governor advised NASS members to revisit the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, pointing out that he will be consulting with them to share the Kaduna LGA election experience to guide them to do the right thing in the interest of the country rather than their own individual or political parties’ interest.
He however said a lot of political advocacy needs to be carried out to convince the lawmakers that Electronic Voting is the way to go.
