INEC moves to deploy more technology for future polls

Seeks to modify election guidelines

By Omeiza Ajayi

ABUJA—Eighty-two of the state and federal level contests conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in the 2015 general election have been quashed by the courts, the commission has disclosed.

INEC chairman, Prof. Mahood Yakubu disclosed this at an interactive meeting with registered political parties where it was also agreed to adjust election guidelines to allow simultaneous accreditation and voting during future elections.

The parties during a closed door session with the INEC chairman also empowered INEC to go the full hog in the use of electronic voting.

Yakubu said: “You would recall that I promised to share our preliminary findings about innovations that we have introduced. I will show you some of the  technology that we have deployed and how they have revolutionised our electoral process.

“You have been to the field, you have deployed your agents, you mobilised voters. What are the issues arising from new technology introduced and the way forward. And how can we improve on these technology,”? he queried.

Yakubu recalled that the 2015 INEC general election guidelines, provided that accreditation should end at 1p.m., eligible voters were required to wait around the vicinity for 30 minutes before the commencement of voting.

However, he said INEC in concert with all the political parties that participated in the recent Bayelsa governorship election had to modify the guideline with regard to the exercise in Southern Ijaw.

He said: “With the agreement of all political parties we had simultaneous accreditation and voting in Bayelsa, specifically at Southern Ijaw Local Government by modifying our guidelines. But what we did was after our consultation with all the political parties.

“The commission had maintained this tradition, whatever we do consult with critical stakeholders which includes political parties.

“Southern Ijaw may be a small part of this country for us to have an assessment of whether we should extend it or we should just leave it as such by merely responding to exigency as the need arises.