A Coalition of Pro-Democracy Organisations in Nigeria, under the aegis of Campaign for Democracy has rejected the stance of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to restrict itself to manual collation of results of the off-season governorship election in Bayelsa State.
Checks revealed that the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Bayelsa State, Mr. Obo Effanga, dropped the hint on Wednesday in Yenagoa.
Further checks revealed that the INEC National Chairman, Professor Mahood Yakubu had told Nigerians of his plan to conduct mock accreditation using Bimodal Voters Accreditation System and INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV) for accreditation of Voters and transmission, respectively ahead of the election.
A communique signed by Campaign for Democracy which was issued to newsmen in Abuja last night and signed by its National Secretary and Comrade Atani John, for Niger Delta Democratic Vanguard, the Coalition of CSOs said a declaration to jettison electronic transmission will erode the credibility of the next month election.
The communique reads in part: “We believe that the integrity and credibility of any election depend on the transparency of the electoral process, including the accurate and timely transmission of results.
“Electronic transmission of results is a vital component of ensuring the authenticity and fairness of elections, and its abandonment would undermine the trust of the electorate, Nigerians and the international community in the electoral process.
“The use of technology in the transmission of election results has proven to be a valuable tool in reducing electoral fraud, promoting accountability, and delivering more accurate and timely results to the public. It enhances the transparency of the electoral process and minimise the potential for manipulation or tampering with results at various stages.
“We urge the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reconsider its proposal and uphold the principles of transparency and accountability in the Bayelsa State Governorship Election.
“We call on INEC to ensure that the electronic transmission of results is not only maintained but also improved upon to guarantee the credibility of the electoral process.
“As critical Stakeholders in the Nigerian project, we are committed to monitoring the upcoming Bayelsa State Governorship Election closely, and we will continue to advocate for transparency, fairness, and the highest standards of integrity in the electoral process.
“We call on all stakeholders, including political parties, civil society organisations, and the international community, to join us in safeguarding the integrity of this critical election.
“Finally, we urge the people of Bayelsa to rise and safeguard democracy, and avoid the a rape of our democracy.”
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