*Vows new technology will protect choice made by Nigerians
*Urges parties, candidates to study provisions of 2022 Electoral Act
Chuks Okocha in Abuja
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, yesterday, promised that the electoral body would not pander to any partisan whims and caprices in the 2023 elections.
Yakubu, who was confident that the new technological innovations introduced by the commission would protect the sanctity of choice made by Nigerians, however, pledged that INEC would do its duties with the highest sense of responsibility and integrity.
He also urged the political parties and their candidates to carefully study the 2022 Electoral Act as amended and avoid fouling the provisions thereof as the campaigns have begun.
“We shall not pander to any partisan whims and caprices. We pledge to discharge our duties with the highest sense of responsibility and integrity,” said Yakubu at the 6th conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers in Lagos.
While cautioning against fake news and information, he called on members of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) to help contain the spread of such fake news as it is injurious to nation and the conduct of the general election.
“I wish to restate once again, the commitment of INEC to credible elections. Votes will continue to count and will be the sole determinant of electoral outcome.
“For this reason, the Commission has introduced many new innovations, supported by the deployment of appropriate technology, to protect the sanctity of the choice made by Nigerians at the polls, ranging from voter registration to voter accreditation and result management.
“The deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) with its dual fingerprint and facial biometric accreditation process, has ensured that only genuine voters are accredited to vote during election.
“This has curtailed the incidence of multiple voting and other sharp practices associated with voter accreditation during elections. The BVAS has come to stay and will be the only means by which voters will be accredited in the 2023 general election,” he declared.
Explaining that the introduction of the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) Portal, has made the result management procedure more transparent, Yakubu contended that, “Polling Unit results are now uploaded in real-time to the IReV portal for public view.
“This has enhanced the transparency, credibility and consequently public confidence in the outcome of elections. The IReV has come to stay and polling unit results will be uploaded to the portal in real-time in the 2023 General Election.”
The INEC chair, who reminded political parties and their candidates of the Peace Accord signed last week on the watch of the National Peace Committee (NPC), in which they committed themselves to peaceful electioneering, urged them to be guided by the letter and spirit of the Accord.
His words: “For our part, the Commission will pay particular attention to the conduct of parties, candidates and their supporters. As a regulator, the Commission will play its role to ensure compliance with the provision of the law as well as our guidelines and regulations.
“We will pay particular attention to peaceful campaign devoid of abusive, intemperate and slanderous language as well as the use of innuendoes or insinuations likely to provoke a counter-reaction resulting in the breach of the peace.
“Similarly, we will pay special attention to the observance of limits on parties and candidates’ finance. I urge political parties and candidates to carefully study the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and familiarise themselves with their obligations as well as the penalties under the law.
“As you are aware, election is a multi-stakeholder activity. As the Commission is doing its best to ensure a credible process, we also appeal to the media for continuous partnership. Managing the electoral process for credible outcome is the responsibility of all of us.
“As campaign activities get underway, the media will continue to play an important role. A lot of the activities will take place in the media of which the new media is a critical player. We must continue to work together against the spread of fake new, misinformation and disinformation, that seek to create or exacerbate tension or de-legitimise processes and outcomes,” he stated.
To this end, he charged GOCOP to lead a network or alliance of stakeholders to curb fake news engineered by unpatriotic individuals, stressing that, fake news is a threat to national security and all hands must be on deck to check it.
“Managing this process requires in part, concerted efforts. We have noticed that your members have so far steered clear of fake news. We urge you to do more. GOCOP should come out strongly in the battle against fake news, which is clearly a challenge to the electoral process going forward.
“We are happy to note that you have your peer review mechanism using your leaders to regularly remind every member of the need for credible journalism. This is highly commendable. We urge you extend this beyond GOCOP to serve as a bulwark against the menace of fake news,” he stated, stressing that, at the commission, national interest comes first.
