E-Voting machine: Multiple voting can no longer take place ―Minister

MINISTER of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, on Tuesday, stated that with the invention of electronic voting machine by the National Agency for science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), it was clearly shown that multiple voting could no longer take place and acceptable any more in Nigeria.

Dr Onu, who stated this during his working visit to the agency’s office in Abuja, said the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari was making frantic efforts to ensure that the country through NASENI was able to produce many of the equipment and machines ‎that are currently being imported into Nigeria.

“My visit today is very special and unique, I recall in January in the ministry, NASENI was able to show Nigerians that we are gradually coming of age that many of the economic problems we have in our country that we have the capacity ‎to solve these problems, and by doing so, we will be in a position not only to create jobs‎ but to create wealth for our country and there is nothing as good as self-reliance,” Onu said.

“I am very happy with what I have seen today that we can do instant registration, by that, it means that you get registered and the card will be issued to you within five minutes, this is very impressive, and NASENI will not rest until we reduce the five minutes to one minute. This is the essence of the research, because you will never be satisfied until you get the very best, so I am impressed with what we have seen but we want more.”

“I have voted and the result was being collated. This is going to help us. I did vote for five different elections and I believe that we might increase that number to seven, so that all elections in Nigeria, just as the most developed countries of the world, can be conducted on the same day‎. This will be very helpful in increasing the turnout because democracy is all about participation,” he stressed.

Earlier, the Director-General of the National Agency for science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Professor Muhammed Sani Haruna said the machine was developed to address the numerous challenges bedevilling Nigeria during the elections.

He, therefore, announced that the existing Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Permanent Voter’s Card has been adopted for the use of new e-voting equipment.