John Mahama participates in High-Level Meeting on the ICT deployment in Africa’s electoral process

Former President John Dramani Mahama is in Abeokuta, Nigeria to participate in a High-Level Working Group Meeting on Mitigating Disruptive Applications of ICT on the Electoral Process in Africa.

The two-day meeting will produce a report on the strengths and challenges in the use of ICT and models of successful deployment of ICT in electoral systems in Africa for the sustenance of democracy on the continent.

The High-Level Working Group is chaired by former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo and includes Mr. Mahama, Ethiopia’s Hailemariam Desalegn, Professor Amos Sawyerr of Liberia, Raila Odinga of Kenya, Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique, the former Chairpersons of the South African and Nigerian Electoral Commissions among others.

President Mahama who left Accra on Monday will together with his colleagues share their practical experience in the use of ICT in elections and make recommendations for improvement.

Over the last few elections in Africa, there have been the emergence of some danger signs in the use of ICT, with increasing reports and fears of possible willful distortions of the technical process.

In addition, there are concerns about social media manipulation of voters and vicious attacks using ICT platforms, which must be arrested in order not to diminish the credibility of elections on the continent and impede the attainment of Africa’s Vision 2063.