NIGERIA NEWS

AVOIDING RIGGING IN 2011 ELECTIONS

Abba B. Shuwa, Leeds UK ...August 21, 2010

That we are in an era of digital technology is not in doubt but the attempt to use it as a means of fraudulently acquiring wealth and manipulate it to serve selfish purpose is a matter of concern to most Nigerians. Efforts made by the country’s various agencies to install and use technology to manage its affairs has become a veritable tool of exploitation and as well a means of short changing citizens who have little knowledge about their use.

The Independent National Electoral Commission is engaged in a task in which it has been committed into using technology called Direct Data Capture for use in registering voters and huge sums of money has been allocated to the Commission for that purpose. But the question is before INEC arrived at its decision to use the technology has the Commission been able to find out whether or not such technologies were used elsewhere? If they have been in use then what is the method applied in their use? Is it done in an ad hoc manner as is the case in Nigeria or is it an established system that has a routine way of getting updated as and when required without any manipulation?

Answers to these questions may provide us with some ideas on the desirability or otherwise of the so-called Direct Data Capture machines and help to expose some areas of possible abuse on the use of digital technology and assist INEC to identify and stop all possible means to use it to rig the 2011 elections in Nigeria.

First electoral register is used as an instrument of finding out a citizen’s credibility in democratic societies. For that reason it is used to check a person’s standing before he is considered to vie for electoral office, open bank account, obtain loan or establish a business entity. It contains personal information on the credibility of an individual in the society in which he lives as it is used as a reference by both financial institutions as well as public bodies.

Credit checks are made through the register and if a person has failed in paying debts he or she is declared as not creditworthy or even declared bankrupt and would not be considered for grant of loans or allowed to operate a business. For that reason everyone who has reached the required age ensures that their names are on the register which is updated periodically some months to elections by asking residents to confirm already held information or alter them if there are changes for example if the household has had new member who has attained a voting age or someone has recently moved into the address.

Another way of updating the data is by personally attending at the electoral office to provide them with your recent move or attainment of required age, through making a phone call to the register office or sending email informing them about ones arrival and the relevant forms are sent out which is updated upon verification of the completed form that is returned to the electoral office. So the register is a well established document that is used not only for election but also held as a record about individuals in society.

The task of managing and updating these records are saddled with the electoral officials in all the County Councils which are our equivalent to Local Government. It is disheartening that even though we have INEC Electoral Officers in all the local government areas their duties are confined to holding and declaring election results but were not given the task of periodic updates of the register as part of their duties. That is why these officials are almost redundant after elections are over.

The question is what technology is being used to register, print voters cards as well as ballot papers by these advanced democracies? Just computers! Yes Computers! The computers and soft ware specifically designed and programmed for that office and with password identifiers for all officials authorised to perform duties using the system which has the capacity to monitor any user from the time he/she logs into it and the time he/she logs out so that any misuse is traced to the officer who has done it. Furthermore attached to the computer is an intra net which is a dedicated internet for that office alone and only the staff would have access to it.

It is designed in such a way that its use is secure and has some permanent features with regular maintenance and updates of the system. Also it eliminates fraud and reduces cost since all the important and sensitive items required for the elections such as ballot papers, voters cards etc are internally printed by the electoral office thereby eliminating the possibility of politicians colluding with contractors to compromise the process. The resources at disposal of INEC is enough to buy sophisticated digital printers that can be connected to their own computers and used for printing all their vital election materials in a secured way.

The use of bar coded system is the easiest way to handle the register and ballot materials. It is simple since all that it does is to identify each voter by his/her barcode which is unique to the voter. Bar coding machines are available on sale which is programmed to tailor individual organisation’s requirement. The same bar code also goes into the ballot paper of the voter which effectively eliminates multiple voting and where the voter moves home or transfers to another location or he/she dies the name is stroked from the register and a new one is issued for a changed address with all previous details on the system transferred to the new one. This technology is very cheap and easily accessible as well as installed by many manufacturers such as Microsoft, Apple, or other well known reputable suppliers of digital technologies all over the world.

However the hype about local content and contractors close to the presidency trying to use their influence to get contract for supply of sensitive electoral materials is something that the INEC must resist if it were to maintain its independence. Also the regular summoning of the chairman by the president as well as the attempt by some government departments especially the finance ministry to have a say on the management of its funds impinges on the independence of the agency.

If there is any data that needs to be captured by INEC it is the movement of electoral materials, homes of prominent politicians and traditional title holders where ballot stuffing are perpetrated and INEC must ensure that there are no voting centres established inside palaces, as well as checking the attitude of politicians on election days and at returning centres. INEC should acquire mobile cameras to follow its materials and obtain lots of camcorders to record all election proceedings at remote locations from voting, counting and return of results. CCTV cameras be placed in its offices at local, state and head office so that all movements of persons into their offices and their utterances are recorded.

For the purpose of transparency all results at polling units must be displayed boldly for everyone interested to see before taking the result to the collation centre and anyone that behaves in unruly manner or attempts to disrupt the proceedings must be arrested and prosecuted, as well as all officials entrusted to perform electoral duties whether uniformed personnel or election official be tried and sentenced in accordance with relevant laws.

Also it must be observed that some political office holders are now trying to court the friendship and earn the support of the NYSC by paying courtesy calls on their head office or even announcing increase in their allowances just because they knew that they are now considered by INEC to perform election duties. That strategy fits into the expose made by a former governor Donald Duke and so INEC must take curious interest in such moves too.

As we move toward the registration of voters all effort must be made to make it free from fraud and avoid attempts by politicians to hijack the process. INEC must maintain its independence and avoid making their officials to become errand boys of politicians. The security agencies must be closely monitored and reports submitted by whistle blowers and party agents be fully investigated and verified and if upheld prompt action be taken to rectify any anomaly observed in the exercise.

Complaints procedure and protection of complainants and their identity must be guaranteed so that people would be encouraged to report any fraud. Agents and representatives of parties be allowed to participate in keeping vigil over election materials as a deterrent against illegal use during out of office hours or alternatively the serial number of last register taken and signed by all parties present at the close of registration on each day and same verified before commencement of the exercise the following day as a means to check abuse.

INEC must get it right and should employ all lawful means to ensure that it succeeds. Nigerians are sick of vote riggers and election cheats and if the agency truly identifies with the wishes of Nigerians the people are willing to support the agency and make sacrifices but the only problem INEC may face is the other governmental departments and security personnel who do not take orders from the agency and are usually the veritable tools used to stifle elections. God save INEC!

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