The Commissioner for Information in Delta, Mr Charles Aniagwu, on Tuesday urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that electronic transmission of election results was achieved in the 2023 general elections.
Aniagwu made the plea while playing host to Mr Monday Udoh-Tom, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) and his delegation in Asaba.
He said that if INEC could verify the Permanent Voter Card (PVC) holders through electronic means, nothing would stop it from transmitting election results electronically during the 2023 general elections.
“Most Nigerians are solidly behind INEC in ensuring the transmission of election results through electronic means.
“The commission should remain steadfast in achieving that target as the innovations will greatly enhanced transparency and integrity of the electoral process,” he said.
“Electronic transmission of results will enhance electoral integrity.“I advise INEC to remain steadfast in ensuring that election results are transmitted electronically so that we can be at par with most developed climes.
“If INEC is able to authenticate both the voter’s card and the card holder electronically, then I am confident that they can also transmit election results electronically too,” he said.
The commissioner, lauded the REC for the massive sensitisation on the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) in the state.
“We will continue to work with you and support you to ensure that more Deltans are registered in the ongoing voter register.
“Our collaboration is to ensure that you succeed in the very good intentions that you have set for yourselves to ensure electoral integrity.
“The importance of voting cannot be over-emphasised, because beyond being a civic duty that citizens owe the nation, they have the opportunity to vote for leaders of their preference.
“When you don’t vote, it means you have inadvertently contributed to bad governance.
“Once we have integrity in our electoral process, then we would have reduced corruption in our country,” Aniagwu said.
The commissioner, also commended the electoral umpire for several innovations it had initiated since 2012, including the card reader.
He pledged the continued collaboration of the state government with INEC in ensuring further sensitisation of eligible voters to participate in the ongoing voter registration.
Also, Mr Monday Udoh-Tom, the state’s REC, said that his team was on an advocacy visit to the commissioner on the CVR.
Udoh-Tom commended Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa for approving the use of state media outfits for the sensitisation of eligible voters.
He said Delta was not lagging behind in the ongoing voter registration, adding that no fewer than 100,000 people of Delta had registered in the last three weeks of the exercise.
“We have come here to tell you to continue to send the message out to Deltans, who are 18 years and above to go and register.
“Those who have problems with their cards, as well as those who want to transfer their voting points, can avail themselves of the opportunity presented by the CVR.
“So far, we are happy that Deltans have taken the opportunity seriously.
“In order to decongest the voting environment, INEC created additional 2, 239 polling units in Delta, bringing the total to 5,863 polling units, and we want more people to register in those new polling units,” Udoh-Tom said.