Election credibility: Stakeholders in Taraba advocate electronic voting

Stakeholders in Taraba have advocated electronic voting as a solution to the too many litigations recorded after the 2015 general elections in the country.

Alhaji Ardo Jika, state Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state told journalists yesterday in Jalingo that though the massive annulments indicated a drift towards end of impunity in the country, electronic voting would be a solution to the problem.

Ardo urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to subsequently conduct accreditation and voting simultaneously to avoid issues of hijacking of voting materials by hoodlums after accreditation to go and thumbprint at different locations.

“Based on my experience with the country’s electoral process over the years, I believe only electronic voting can help improve on the process.

“The card readers that were used in the 2015 general elections were of immense help and should be improve upon to make them work effectively in all locations across the country,” he said.

Also speaking Alhaji Abubakar Bawa, a chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) who also harped on the need for electronic voting advised INEC to always give political parties and security agents comprehensive lists of agents and supervisors to void crowd at voting points.

Bawa called on the electoral body to ensure a level playing field for all political parties to enhance the credibility of the electoral process so as to forestall too many litigations.

“If there is credibility in the in the electoral process, nobody will just want to go and spent time and money at the tribunal after elections,” he noted.

Barr. Boniface Iorkumbur a legal practitioner who said electronic voting would help improve on the electoral process however, said the literacy level of Nigerians was not yet ripe for electronic voting.

He advised politicians to change their attitudes towards elections, saying the situation where people lost elections clearly, but still go to court was a clear indications that Nigerian politicians were not yet matured.

“Nigerian politicians are not yet matured. No matter how credible elections are politicians will still go to court unless they changed their attitude toward elections,” he said.

The legal practitioner also explained that what appeared to be conflicting judgements in most cases was due to faulty filing of cases by lawyers.