The National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Rauf Aregbesola, has called for greater transparency in the activities of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Speaking on Monday in Abuja during a panel discussion on the title: “Innovation in electoral technology 2015-2025,” Aregbesola submitted that Nigeria must change the process of choosing who becomes INEC Chairman.
He observed that, as things stand, there is too much power in the hands of a single individual in managing the affairs of INEC as well as the outcome of elections in the country, and this has to change.
The former Governor of Osun State also disclosed that he has benefited from what he described as election Shenanigans, but called for a change in the process so as to guarantee free and fair elections in Nigeria.
According to Aregbesola, “Whereas Stalin said cynically that the voters do not matter as the man who announces the result of the election.
“Therefore Stalin said cynically, since he said so, we have seen it clearly. It’s not about politicians not being willing to accept the victory of whatever they want to know. I’m the beneficiary of Shenanigans in elections and struggle for it.
“So you can, what I want to say about it, I tell you what it is. I’m telling you clearly, If you do not change the process of who manages what in the electoral body, to at least downplay a single person dictating the tune and managing their affairs, we are joking with it.”
INEC And BIVAS
Speaking further, the former Minister for Interior urged INEC to be transparent and clear about the technology it intends to use for elections.
He stated that there is too much hidden from public eyes in the deployment and consistency of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BIVAS), adding that the law requires INEC to publicly demonstrate the technology it intends to use during elections.
He said, “Besides that, is the fact that we must compel INEC to do a proper presentation of the technology it wants to use. Let us have an idea of what we want to do, physically demonstrate it.
“Don’t tell us you are using BIVAS, you are using this only for one election day, only to change the entire thing and we don’t know. It’s abracadabra.
“Let INEC demonstrate to Nigerians, it’s part of the law of INEC. The existing law of INEC compels it to demonstrate to Nigerians how it’s going to conduct the election.
“That will go a long way to at least compel it to a standard procedure that you have shown us. Not for us to wake up on election day and see different things. That is my first position.”
