The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, said with the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Authentication System, BVAS, the issue of identity theft and other election frauds would be addressed during the 2023 general election.
Umar Ibrahim, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, for Gombe State, stated this during a stakeholders meeting on the preparations for the 2023 general elections held in Gombe on Wednesday, January 11, 2023.
Ibrahim said the credibility of the 2023 general elections remained a top priority for the commission, hence the introduction of improved technology in recent elections to enhance the electoral processes.
According to him, with BVAS only voters will determine who wins elections in the country.
“I assure the good people of Gombe State that the days of identity theft during elections are over and only voters can determine the winner of elections in this country.
“There is no doubt the deployment of technology has greatly improved the conduct of elections in this country over the years.
“During the 2023 general elections, the commission will be deploying the BVAS for accreditation of voters and transmission of results,” said Ibrahim.
The REC said Gombe State has received the full complement of BVAS required for the conduct of the 2023 general elections in the state.
Ibrahim assured residents of Gombe State that the commission was ready to conduct credible elections in the state, adding that 10 out of the 14 outlined activities had been carried out.
He appealed to all stakeholders to play their roles towards ensuring the smooth conduct of the 2023 elections.
“The conduct of credible elections is not the responsibility of INEC alone; free, fair, credible, peaceful, all-inclusive, and accountable elections are a product of concerted efforts by all stakeholders.
“I urge you to join us in discouraging PVC selling/buying and vote selling/buying in the strongest terms as it stands against democratic norms and principles,” he said.
Speaking further on BVAS, Mr Bitson Simon, Head of Department, Information, and Communications Technology, ICT, and Voter Registry, Gombe State INEC office, said the BVAS device has been described as a “game changer” in recent elections.
Simon said the device was introduced by INEC as a solution to the inadequacies of the card readers, which were used in previous elections.
He said with BVAS, frauds being perpetuated on election day as it was in previous elections would no longer be possible, adding, “election by proxy will not be possible with BVAS.”
According to him, BVAS will be used to accredit voters, transmit accredited data to INEC server and transmit election results into INEC review portal.
Simon said the BVAS machine would improve the transparency of the 2023 elections.
INEC Laments Over ‘Money Politics’ In Nigeria
Mahmoud Yakubu, the chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has decried the negative role of money in elections, saying its deployment destroys the basis of democratic elections.
Yakubu raised this concern at a “Stakeholders’ Summit on Addressing the Influence of Money in the 2023 General Elections” held in Abuja on Monday, December 19, 2022.
The INEC boss said, “It renders the emergence of the right candidates for positions extremely difficult, undermines fair electoral adjudication, and destroys the professional and independent conduct of INEC officials and other public agencies involved in elections.
“Even more worrisome is the high prospect that criminal money may find its way into our elections through money laundering. Above all, the pernicious use of money tremendously increases the likelihood of election violence due to a ‘win at all costs’ mentality among contestants, who would have invested a fortune in election.
“Surely, election is not a business venture for profit. Instead, it is an application to serve the people with the understanding that they may prefer someone else on one occasion. But then, there would be an opportunity to reapply after four years. Citizens’ choices must never be subverted by the negative use of money,” he said.
Meanwhile, ahead of next year’s general election, the 18 registered political parties in Nigeria have called out the state governors, accusing them of trying to sabotage the electoral process by stifling the opposition in their various states.
Also, a rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana, SAN, asked security agencies to arrest and prosecute those he claimed are “anti-democratic forces” bent on truncating the 2023 elections.
This came as INEC, security, and anti-graft agencies decried the high cost of politics in Nigeria and the ruinous influence of money on the nation’s democracy.
Some of the stakeholders at the event were the INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu; Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Usman Baba Alkali; Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC, Professor Bolaji Owasanoye, SAN; and Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa.
Others were Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC; the Director-General, Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria, ARCON; the Director-General, National Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU; Chairman Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC; INEC National Commissioners; representatives of various security and safety agencies; Chairman, Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria, BON; Chairman Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria, NPAN; President, Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ; representatives of financial institutions and leaders of civil society organisations, CSOs.
Sub-national entities rooting for sabotage
Speaking on behalf of the 18 registered political parties, Chairman of IPAC, Engr. Yabagi Sani, accused state governors of preventing the opposition from selling their manifestos to the state populace.
Sani noted that if money was allowed free rein in the elections, there is no guarantee that elections would be credible, transparent, acceptable, and rancor-free.
He said in the countdown to the 2023 elections, IPAC and a broad spectrum of concerned stakeholders had observed that if urgent and drastic steps were not taken, the elections would not be free, fair, and credible due to the negative influence of money in the electoral process.
He said, “This palpable apprehension is derived from the emerging trend in the actions and utterances of chieftains of some candidates, who clearly are more powerful than the leadership of the political parties. This is evident right from the stage of the primary elections of the political parties and at campaign rallies over reports of the plans to deploy huge, illegitimate sums of money to influence the outcome of the elections.
“All factors considered, the nation will be at a crucial crossroads in its political history in 2023. The stakes are high because we have candidates who in their desperation to clinch power or to wrest it will go to any length disregarding sanity and the law in their bid to have their way.
“More than any other experience of elections that we have had, the 2023 elections come with a demand that all care and precaution must be taken in order to avoid rocking the boat of democracy.
“Section 91(4) of the act states that no registered political party in Nigeria, its aspirants or candidate should be prevented from holding rallies, processions or meetings at any time for political purposes.
“Governors are, however, stopping opposition parties from campaigning by imposing prohibitive fees for access to campaign venues, placing of campaign posters and erection of billboards. This is happening in many states as I speak here. These undemocratic and illegal actions by elected state actors create a situation where the use of money and incumbency factors are used to subvert the wishes of the electorate,” he stated.
Source: Daily Post
