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<p>The 2023 General Election will have many complex issues, from the pre-election phase to Election Day to the post-election period, but one concept that could be a major game-changer in elections is: The role that technology plays in determining reliability. Process transparency. The remarkable success in deploying technological innovations such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and Results Portal is a big sign that election administration processes are steadily improving.<span> </span>Also, Professor Mahmoud Yakub of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recently revealed an attempt to hack the system during the gubernatorial elections of Ekiti and Osun, suggesting that the Commission is not the only electoral authority in electoral administration. Another sign that it seems armed for. technology.</p>
<p>Now, Nigerians are slowly saying goodbye to the dark days when voter rolls were infested with foreign names and election results were announced while voting was still in progress. We can also recall the dark days of Nigeria’s electoral journey and how 22 innovations introduced by electoral agencies, including IREV and BVAS, enabled the country to stay light years away from an electoral fiasco. , worth mentioning. According to a recent revelation by Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the Commission used IREV to conduct 105 elections, uploading 32,985 (99.13%) of the 33,275 possible results, and the just-finished Ekiti and Osun elections. of gubernatorial elections recorded a 100% upload rate. Apart from voting, results management is the most important aspect of election management. Voting is an open public activity, but the control of results is usually done by a small number of election officials who are not in the public eye. Therefore, we need to promote transparency in the best possible way. Other innovations that may have enhanced the system include biometric voter registration, computer-based voter registration, online pre-registration, permanent voter cards (PVC) with chips, For example, creating an online portal. All others have contributed significantly to the standardization of Nigeria’s electoral administration system.</p>
<p>While this remains a work in progress to achieve elections that reach global standards of credibility and integrity, Nigerians should appreciate INEC’s journey towards substantial deployment of electoral technology. There is. Since 2011, the Election Commission has demonstrated a commitment to improving the conduct of elections while leveraging technology through the introduction of smart card readers. The introduction of smart card readers (SCRs) and their use to record credential data was critical in limiting fraud and proxy voting, but was backed up by law as manual steps were legally permitted. It was not Nonetheless, the SMR held that the Chair was “satisfied” that the permanent voter card presented was a valid card for voting and that the voter was actually a registered person and that both were required. ” played an important role in helping to by law. This was the beginning of the technological trajectory of Nigeria’s elections, with election officials continuing to push for election amendments to legalize the deployment of technology and the electronic transmission of election results.</p>
<p>So far, the major turning point in Nigeria’s electoral process has been the breakthrough with the new 2022 Electoral Law. This allows the Commission to adopt electronic means for both accreditation and results management. Indeed, the Commission’s tenacity in managing these issues, particularly results, is well reflected in the existing legal framework, administrative procedures, and technological innovations recently introduced by the Commission. However, it is imperative to state that while election officials are having a lot of fun with technology, innovation does not completely abandon manual processes and serves as a gauge of effective quality assurance and standardization in election administration. .</p>
<p>But with the 2023 elections, considered one of the biggest on the continent, approaching, it’s not time to be complacent just yet. To avoid the windows that politicians can use to discredit the process, the challenges ahead cannot be underestimated. Nigeria’s voter registers must be accurately audited to provide accurate numbers of registered voters, while regular renewal of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) must be available in public spaces. Therefore, PVC data collected before elections can be used to further promote transparency and determine voter turnout. Also, training of ad hoc staff needs to be strengthened to enable effective handling of technical equipment. This will avoid a situation where erroneous and possibly unstamped forms were uploaded to his IREV during Ekiti and Osun gubernatorial elections for 2023.</p>
<p>With just five months to the all-important general election, the experience of recent elections has shown that some elements have been relentless in developing their own strategies to circumvent and manipulate the process. There is no doubt that there is not. very first time. Other electoral actors, particularly Nigerian security agencies and civil society organizations, play a key role in safeguarding the dignity of the electoral process before, during and after elections. This not only increases public confidence in the process, but also increases public participation in the process and achieves at least a 50% voter turnout.</p>
<p><strong>Olaspo Abideen is a lover of good governance, youth investment and public policy. Abideen is the Kwara State Coordinator for the NotTooYoungToRun movement and Executive Director of the Brain Builders Youth Development Initiative. Please send your comments and feedback to him at abideenolasupo@gmail.com. He tweets at @opegoogle.</strong></p>
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