A Professor of Political Science, Femi Otubanjo, on Sunday said that achieving e-voting in the Nigeria’s electoral process would require massive funding.
He spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on the backdrop of the Senate’s approval of e-voting.
The Senate had, on Thursday, passed the bill for the amendment of the Electoral Act 2010, approving electronic voting and legalising the existing electronic voter accreditation system.
The upper chamber, in the amendment, empowered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to adopt electronic voting in elections, or any other method of voting as may be determined by the Commission from time to time.
Otubanjo told NAN that funding would be required for voter education, power supply, especially at the rural areas, and provision of alternative manual system.
He said that many Nigerians were illiterate as they did not know how to manipulate technology.
According to him, there is the need for massive education and literacy before the e-voting can be successfully used in the nation’s electoral process.
“There should also be alternative manual system for those who cannot use the technology so they will not be disenfranchised.
“It is a good development because every society must progress, refine its methods, technology and applications but we need to consider if it is appropriate at this time.
“This technology, unlike card reader that was manned by trained INEC official, in the case of e-voting, the voter will directly use the technology.
“My worry is that we still remain an illiterate society.
“The card reader was not successful in the last election, and if as a country we cannot manage the card reader, how do we hope to succeed with a technology that majority may not be able to manipulate?’’
He said that e-voting would be driven by electricity, so there was need to consider steady power supply to ensure that the technology works in all the nooks and crannies of the country.
Mr Wale Ogunade, a constitutional lawyer and President, Voters Awareness Initiative, welcomed the approval of e-voting by the senate.
Ogunade told NAN that it would allow voters to vote from any location and in the comfort of their homes.
“The world is moving fast with technology and we need to move with it.
“With many people using smart phones, we can achieve electronic voting in Nigeria,’’ he said.
He recalled that the last Nigerian Bar Association election was conducted electronically.
“ Lawyers voted at their different branches and location, they even voted from their homes.
“Where there is a will, there is a way; if it was possible with NBA, it can be possible with INEC.
“People will not have to queue under the sun to vote and the issue of ballot box snatching will be a thing of the past,’’ Ogunade said.
A Public Affairs Analyst, Mr Charles Ideho, also told NAN it was a step in the right direction.
Ideho said that e-voting had the ability to clean up the electoral process in the country.
“INEC must ensure that the manpower and equipment needed to achieve this are adequately provided.
“If properly deployed, the e-voting system will curb fraud in our electoral system.
“Above all, the funding that would necessitate the near seamless deployment of the technology for e-voting must be made available on time,’’ Ideho said. (NAN)
LCO/AIB/SOA