By Jeleel Olawale
The National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Rauf Aregbesola, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to publicly demonstrate all technological tools it plans to deploy ahead of any election.
Speaking during a session on Innovation in Electoral Technology, Aregbesola emphasized that it was inappropriate for INEC to introduce or modify election technology on polling day without prior demonstration to the public.
“INEC should not just announce that it will use BVAS or IReV and then make changes on election day. The 2022 Electoral Act mandates the commission to show Nigerians how it intends to conduct elections,” he said.
He noted that transparency and consistency in the use of electoral technology were essential to prevent confusion, manipulation, and a loss of public confidence in the process.
Aregbesola also questioned why Nigeria has yet to implement real-time result display systems that have been successfully used in other democracies.
Also, he criticized the limited access granted to party agents and election observers during elections, calling for their closer involvement in the accreditation and voting processes to enhance credibility.
“Party agents should be allowed to monitor accreditation closely. They must not be kept at a distance on election day. It is vital to verify that the voter cardholder is the legitimate owner,” he added.
