No electronic balloting in 2019 – INEC boss

*Says electoral body has registered 80m voters
The Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmood Yakubu, has ruled out electronic balloting in 2019 general election, saying that the commission will however continue to deepen the deployment of technology.

Also, about 80 million Nigerians have registered to cast their ballots in elections in the country, although the nationwide voters’ registration exercise is ongoing.

Yakubu disclosed this on Friday at the ongoing 67th World Congress of the International Press Institute (IPI) taking place in Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.

The INEC boss made the remarks when he participated in a discussion tagged: “Covering Elections, Advancing Democracy; Endorsing the Nigerian Media Code of Election Coverage”, at the IPI World Congress, where the Nigerian Media Code of Election Coverage was adopted by media stakeholders.

He said: “There will be no electronic balloting in 2019, but technology is already being used in many aspects of the processes.

“Electronic voting should be the ultimate step in a chain involving five processes: electronic voter register, accreditation, balloting, collation and transmission of results.

“At present, the Commission has a more robust voter register than at any time in our history. Accreditation of voters (and storage of accreditation data) is also electronic while we are piloting the electronic collation and transmission of results.

“What remains is to bring these processes into a voting machine to complete the chain.

“I am confident that full automation of our electoral process is only a matter of short period of time.

The INEC Chairman also pointed out that “We are currently inching closer to 80 million voters, although the nationwide voter registration exercise is ongoing. The figure will certainly rise above 80 million registered voters”.

He averred that in 2019 general elections, the largest number of political parties will field candidates, stressing that 68 political parties are at present registered, while 138 applications from association seeking registration as political parties are being considered, and the number is rising by the day.

Prof Mahood said “there is also increasing determination by marginalised groups such as women, youths and Persons With Disabilities (PWD), for greater participation than ever before and we are working with these groups to facilitate their enrolment in the electoral process”.

He noted that the 2019 elections is the most deliberately well planned in Nigeria, adding “so far we have formulated, validated and published the strategic plan (2016 – 2021), the strategic plan of action and the Election Project Plan with full participation of all stakeholders and development partners”.

The INEC boss said election dates are no longer matter of conjectures as the Commission has established the principles that “our election will be held on the third Saturday of the month of February of election year, beginning with national elections.”

The INEC Chairman assured of credible elections in 2019, stating that “I want to assure this Congress that the will of the Nigerian voters will continue to prevail. Nothing but the votes cast by citizens will determine the outcome of elections”.

He reiterated that “the rule of law cannot thrive without free speech. There cannot be free speech without free press. There cannot be free press without democracy. There cannot be genuine democracy without credible elections. The relationship between an Election Management Body such as INEC and IPI is therefore organic”.