Group says online voting will bring credibility to elections in Nigeria

A non-partisan organisation, Polling Units Ambassadors of Nigeria (PUAN), has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to introduce online voting in subsequent elections to reduce human interference and enhance the credibility of the elections.

The leader of the group, Sulieman Dabas, said this while addressing a news conference on the aftermath of the Presidential and National Assembly elections as observed by the group.

The call came against the backdrop of the irregularities witnessed during the conduct of the February 25th elections. According to him, with online voting, Nigerians can vote easily from any device which makes the entire voting process simple and more transparent.

Seek legal redress : While commending Nigerians for coming out en mass to exercise their franchise and for contributing to change the political trajectory of the country, Dabas pleaded with Nigerians at home and abroad to use all available means as provided by the law to seek redress for their grievances.

• “PUAN stands for the use of technology by INEC because we believe that election results cannot be rigged at the polling unit, the chances are very slim. Our election result collation centres are the challenge but we hope that all of this will be addressed by INEC.
• “We have individually and collectively put so much effort into the success of the Implementation of the Electoral Act 2022. Let us look for answers from the commission after this very major national exercise.
• “We must find a professional and globally acceptable standard or practice to address our grievance which is already provided by the Nigerian constitution and the Electoral Act 2022,” he said

He also called on stakeholders in the electoral process to talk to their supporters and agents to remain calm and ensure peace prevails in Nigeria.

He said that the group identified some of the challenges experienced during the elections to include, including the inability of Nigeria’s electoral umpire the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to upload election results at some polling Units.

Dabas said the nation had already lost some young people due to violence and called on youths to shun social vices adding that “elections will always come and go, but we the people will remain.”