By John Ugo, Awka
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday declared that it is prepared to give Nigerians free, fair and credible elections in 2023.
INEC said there are no excuses with the 2022 Electoral Act and new innovations instituted by the commission towards the conduct of a free, fair and credible 2023 elections.
It assured doubtful Thomases in the Nigerians political space that every aspect of preparations at ensuring the success of next year’s elections is electronic, pointing out that actual voting is also taking steps to attain electronic status at an appropriate time.
The Administrative Secretary of the INEC, Anambra’ State, Mr. Jude Okwuonu disclosed this during the one day Voter Education and Sensitization workshop for Media Personnel held at the commission’s headquarters in Awka the Anambra’ state capital.
He explained that with the passage of the 2022 Electoral Act as amended by the National Assembly and the new digital or electronic innovations by the nation’s electoral commission, the body ready and has no excuses in the conduct of the all important polls.
He tasked the media as the fourth estate of the realm, critical Stakeholders and partners in progress to rise up to the occasion by educating and sensitizing the electorate and members of the public as well as politicians to participate actively in the historic elections.
Okwuonu further urged that those apprehensive that hackers could have the usual way into its systems not to worry this time as the commission has put in place watertight measures to make its electronic devices for the conduct of the 2023 general election impossible for them.
“The Electoral Act 2022 and INEC innovations are reasons people have interest and confidence in the forthcoming 2023 general elections,” the commission said.
According to the commission, multiple plans are in place to foil any attempt hackers might devise to hack into INEC devices in order to manipulate the outcome of the elections.
Head, Department, Informatiin Communicatoon Technology and Voters Registration, Mr. Emeka Nnaji who shed light on the sophistications the commission had achieved between 2020 to 2021 towarss ensuring that its electronic devices are not susceptible to hackers, said
“we are using cloud system in our devices which is a most efficient and reliable saving system.
He stated that, “It has firewalls which makes any information being transmitted through it only valuable until it gets to the intended receiver”.
Head of Voter Education and Publicity, (VEP,) Barr George Edeani, harped on the need for media partnership with the INEC for the success of the general election.
He specifically tasked the practitioners to assist the commission to mobilise voters, monitoring violators of electoral laws, and exposing them, as well as setting agenda for the commission and parties towards making the election free, fair and credible.
On his part, the head of Legal Services, Sunday Nwaigboke noted that the 2022 Electoral Act has empowered the commission to conduct the election electronically.
He stated that the law had laid stronger foundation to guarantee that the outcome of the polls are more credible such that any challenge of the outcome in the Court would easily be determined.
He maintaibed that under the 2022 Electoral Act over-voting could be established when the total number of votes is higher than the accredited voters.
INEC however took reservations on the wave of ethnic and religious campaigns by candidates, insisting that Nigerians should know what they want as the campaigns unfold ahead of the polls.