By Tekena Amieyeofori
Human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju is calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to take its cue from the seamless process characterising the conduct of the ongoing national elections of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, noting that credible electronic polls are possible in Nigeria
Shortly after casting his vote, Adeyanju commended the NBA’s Electoral Committee for delivering what he called a smooth, transparent and efficient e-voting exercise.
He said it took him under two minutes to complete registration, verification and voting.
According to him, the Electoral Committee used a secure platform that authenticated voters with their individual Supreme Court enrolment numbers and a One-Time Password. That setup, he said, makes the seamless and credible.
Adeyanju said the NBA poll has settled the debate around e-voting in Nigeria, proving it can work when the right technology and protections are in place. He urged INEC to monitor the exercise closely and borrow from its approach to strengthen the country’s electoral system.
“The NBA election has shown that secure electronic voting is achievable with the right systems. INEC should closely observe this process and learn from it,” he said.
He also expressed hope that the INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, being a senior lawyer, would take part in the NBA election to personally experience the e-voting system.
Adeyanju concluded that adopting similar technology could go a long way in making Nigerian elections more credible, efficient and transparent.