2023: Why results must be transmitted electronically – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has no excuses not to use the electronic direct transmission of results in the 2023 general elections and other future polls.

The party’s position is predicated on INEC’s announcement of its readiness to conduct online (electronic) registration of voters for future elections in the country.

This was disclosed in a statement signed on Tuesday by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Kola Ologbondiyan.

According to the party, since INEC is in the position to deploy technology to conduct online registration of voters, which entails electronic transmission of voter’s data to its central server, the commission can also conduct an electronic transmission of results directly from the polling unit to its central server.

“Our party calls the attention of the commission to the fact that it no longer has any excuse not to employ the direct transmission of results from polling units, which will ensure credible elections by eliminating manipulations, alterations, switching, and disappearance of election results during manual collation processes.

“The PDP insists that if INEC can use the electronic platform for registration of voters it could as well deploys the same technology for electronic transmission of results in future elections including the 2023 general elections.

“Our party however urges INEC to ensure that the online registration of voters is credible, transparent, and not open to the manipulations of desperate politicians, particularly in the All Progressives Congress (APC),” the statement read in part.

The PDP also called on the APC leadership in the National Assembly not to delay the Electoral Act amendment bill.