INEC Integrity Under Scrutiny Over Choice of Manual Transmission in Bayelsa Governorship Poll

As the nation gears up for the off-season elections in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi States, Nigerians have expressed doubts over the integrity of the electoral process in the concerned states.

The development followed the announcement by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, recently that it plans to manually transmit the results of the forthcoming November 11 Bayelsa governorship election.

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that the State INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr Obo Effanga, disclosed the commission’s decision in Yenagoa during an interactive meeting with religious leaders and faith-based organisations.

The Commission’s decision has not gone down well with many Nigerians who have also described it as a serious setback.

Before now, the INEC successfully deployed the BVAS and adopted electronic transmission of election results in Ekiti, Osun and Anambra States, which many described as the game changer. The success of application of technology in those elections contributed largely to the passage of the Electoral Act 2023.

Also, before the 2023 general elections, the electoral commission promised and assured Nigerians it would transmit the result electronically. But the promise never came to pass during the presidential election.

Notwithstanding, recent court judgements have shown that the commission is at liberty to prescribe or choose the manner in which election results shall be transmitted.

Meanwhile, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Center, CSLAC, has faulted the INEC’s plan to transmit the November 11 Guber election manually.

The group said it was a desperate attempt to allow politicians to manipulate the will of the electorate during the election.

The group further said it believed the integrity and credibility of any election depended on the transparency of the electoral process, including the accurate and timely transmission of results.

While speaking on Arise Television’s News programme on Monday, the Executive Director of CSLAC, Auwal Rafsanjan said the development was a huge concern for anybody who loves the country’s democracy to succeed