The Coalition in Defence of Nigeria Democracy and Constitution, CDNDC, has warned the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, against the use of e-collation of results in the gubernatorial elections in both Edo and Ondo States.
Mr. Ariyo-Dare Atoye, the co-convener of the group, said in a statement the use of e-collation of results during the upcoming elections which is to be held on September 10 (Edo State governorship election), 2016 and November 26, 2016 (Ondo State governorship election) would be prone to abuse.
The group expressed their fear, saying that the process could create problems if used for the first time in a major election.
“We wish to urgently alert Nigerians and all stakeholders in our electoral process to the fact that the planned application of e-collation of results is not backed by the Electoral Act, and that it has not been tested in smaller elections to ascertain its effectiveness.
”We fear that it may be hijacked, manipulated and used to undermine the credibility of results.”
It also added, in the statement which was issued in Abuja on Sunday, August 28, 2016, that INEC had made use of “untested Smart Card Readers (SCR) technology on a large scale” while conducting the 2015 general elections, even when the devices had not been tested during smaller elections.
According to The Nation, INEC had not declared the use of e-collation for the Edo and Ondo States elections. Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said last week that INEC was considering transmitting results from polling units to collation centers in the elections in 2019.
Reports from National Mirror show that CDNDC had consulted significant sections of the Electoral Act on collation and transmission, to wit:
” 63 (I), which says that “The Presiding Officer shall, after counting the votes at the polling unit, enter the votes scored by each candidate in a form to be prescribed by the Commission as the case may be.
“(2) The form shall be signed and stamped by the Presiding Officer and countersigned by the candidates or their polling agents where available at the polling unit.
(3) The Presiding Officer shall give to the Polling Agents and the police officer where available a copy each of the completed forms after it has been duly signed as provided in subsection (2) of this section.
(4)The Presiding Officer shall count and announce the result at the polling unit.
“Section 64. A candidate or polling agent may, where present at a polling unit when counting of votes is completed by the Presiding Officer, demand to have the votes recounted provided that the presiding Officer shall cause the votes to be so recounted only once.
“Section 65. After the recording of the result of the election, the Presiding Officer shall announce the result and deliver same and election materials under security to such persons as may be prescribed by the Commission.
According to the group, “As registered voters and concerned Nigerians, we are therefore compelled to ask the INEC if it is logical, reasonable and acceptable to contemplate the introduction of another electronic platform at this juncture when it is yet to:
“I. Perfect the strict use of the SCR, both in law (Electoral Act) and as sole instrument for accreditation to become a standard practice;
“II. Come clean and give the account of performance of the SCR in the last general elections.
The CDNDC concluded by expressing their strong disagreement should, during the Edo and Ondo State elections, “test this new expansion.”
