The forthcoming off-season November elections in Kogi, Bayelsa, and Imo states may have assumed paramount importance as it poses another opportunity for the Independent National Electoral Commission to truly showcase its independence and also provides room for President Ahmed Bola Tinubu to display his fatherhood to the nation by upholding the sanctity of the Oath of office he sworn to.
With a few weeks left until the election, it is imperative that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and federal lawmakers work out modalities to ratify the legality of deploying electronic devices as regards transmission of results during these pivotal off-season elections. Such a measure promises to be a panacea for the enduring quandary of voter apathy that has beleaguered our electoral system for a long time.
The recent pronouncement from the Appellate court that adjucacted in the Presidential Election Tribunal, granting INEC discretionary authority over electronic transfer and uploading of voting results from polling units to its dedicated servers, underscores the gravity of this issue.
Consequently, INEC is impelled to expound unequivocally upon its position regarding the utilization of its dedicated platform or servers, accompanied by a lucid exposition of the rigorous safeguards in place to fortify these platforms against intrusion. This is essential to ensure the sustained and secure operation of the uploading platform throughout the electoral process.
This also calls for legislative interventions by our lawmakers, and there is a pressing need for them to expeditiously act and and enshrine the legality of using INEC’s results servers and to also compel INEC to adopt an uncompromising approach in the transmission of results from polling units to its central servers. The mandate is for clarity and unwavering commitment to enhancing the resilience of our electoral process.
It should be noted that, the credibility of INEC as our nation’s electoral umpire was scrutinized during the 2023 general elections when the commission did not honor its commitment to upload the results of the presidential election. The massive turnout of voters was solely premised on this.
To this end, the forthcoming off-season elections in November are poised to be the crucible for INEC, testing its capacity to regain the trust of the Nigerian populace by adhering to principles that are both legally sanctioned and ethically sound.
The good people of Kogi, Bayelsa, and Imo states are also called upon to turn out in large numbers and cast their votes in favor of their preferred candidates. The promise of mitigating election rigging and malfeasance hinges on the unassailable evidence of substantial voter turnout, whether it sways for or against any candidate.
President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, in his leadership role within our nation, is enjoined to inscribe his legacy by adopting a neutral stance in these elections, notwithstanding his affiliation with the APC. His government should empower institutions to engender an equitable electoral playing field, recognizing that these elections mark the debut occasion since his inauguration as President of Nigeria.
The security agencies are reminded of their constitutional duties by acknowledging that, maintaining their apolitical and impartial stance is indispensable to the democratic process. They must resist any undue interference and uphold the imperative for peace and security to foster free and equitable elections.
The forthcoming off-season November elections in Kogi, Bayelsa, and Imo states signify a momentous juncture in our nation’s democratic journey. It is incumbent upon INEC, federal lawmakers, the Nigerian populace, President Tinubu, and our security agencies to discharge their respective roles meticulously, thus fostering an equitable and transparent electoral process. In doing so, we can rekindle the flame of trust in our democracy and alleviate the persistent specter of voter apathy.
– Oyigu Elijah, a Consummate Media Consultant, writes from Abuja.
