Olusegun ARIYO
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Information and National Orientation and senator representing Ebonyi Central District of Ebonyi State, Ken Eze, has emphasised that real-time electronic voting, as popularly demanded by segments of the Nigerian public, remains impracticable given the country’s current infrastructural realities.
Speaking during a media interaction in his Ohigbo Amagu home in Ezza South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, on Sunday, and that which is monitored by Urban Express News, Eze noted that the recent reforms on electronic transmission of electoral results underwent a rigorous legislative process, including public hearings, retreats, and consultations with civil society and international organisations, to ensure credibility, transparency and implementability.
“The idea that votes can be transmitted in real-time directly from polling units misunderstands the technical realities on the ground.
“Real-time implies that as a voter touches an electronic ballot, the vote is transmitted instantly to a central server without any intermediary.
“With the current analogue-ballot-based system and unstable power infrastructure, this is simply not feasible,” Eze said.
The lawmaker explained that electronic transmission of results from polling units has been misunderstood by many, with some critics erroneously assuming that the system could instantly reflect votes in real-time.
According to him, the process in Nigeria involves collecting, counting, and recording votes at the polling unit before transmission, a sequence that inherently involves time.
Eze emphasised that the Senate did not reject electronic transmission.
“At no point did the National Assembly reject electronic transmission.
“We have always supported it, but it must be implemented practically and sustainably.
“The focus is on ensuring votes are accurately recorded and transmitted, even if that means using backup manual systems where necessary,” he clarified.
He cited infrastructural limitations as a significant factor.
“During the last election, INEC supplied generators to collection centres, but not to individual polling units.
“Machines arrived uncharged, and without reliable power or connectivity, expecting real-time transmission is unrealistic,” he said.https://urbanexpresslive.com/it-is-not-practicable-senator-eze-on-real-time-electronic-voting-in-nigeria/
The Senator further stressed that the reforms also addressed other systemic issues, including the integrity of primary elections, the powers of political parties versus the electorate, and the adjudication of electoral disputes.
He said that under the new framework, federal courts, rather than state courts, will handle primary election disputes, and accreditation through BIVAS technology will ensure that votes cannot exceed registered participants at polling units, minimising opportunities for manipulation.
Senator Eze urged Nigerians to appreciate the complexities involved in implementing electronic voting systems.
