Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has ruled out possibilities of adopting an electronic voting system ahead of the 2023 General Election.
The commission says plans are currently being intensified towards the conversion of existing voting points to full-fledged polling units across the country. This will ensure that Nigerians have easy access to cast their votes during the 2023 elections in the country.
The commission disclosed the development in Abuja at the end of the workshop for Heads of Departments (HOD) Operation on expanding voter access to polling units in Nigeria.
The workshop is designed to boost voter participation and reduce voter apathy in the next election particularly the 2023 election in Nigeria and prepare officials ahead the adoption of electronic voting.
The Commission’s Chairman, Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye, stated that the aim of the commission was that after completing the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections in 2022, processes and other hurdles against electronic machines procurements would have been solved effectively and after 2023 election,the commission will amend the law for its inclusion.
He believes that by the time Ekiti and Osun governorship elections are conducted, all mechanism and other issues around the procurement of the electronic voting machine would have been sorted out and then the law to conform with the electronic process would be amended.
The Chairman says the commision aspires to ensure voting from the comfort of people’s homes or any location.
As for the 2023 election, he ascertained that people will vote from the places they registered for the exercise.
