In February, President Muhammadu Buhari signed the much-anticipated electoral act modification invoice into regulation. For some, it portrayed the federal government’s dedication to upholding clear and credible elections. Others, nonetheless, appeared sceptical. 

Some elements of the amendments, just like the early launch of election funds to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), early conduct of get together primaries and submission of candidates’ lists, have been properly applauded. E-voting/transmission of outcomes, alternatively, sparked considerations from Nigerians. 

Sections 47 and 50(2) of the Electoral Act 2022 give authorized backing to using sensible card readers, digital accreditation of voters, and some other accreditation expertise that INEC deploys. It additionally offers authorized backing to the digital transmission of outcomes as INEC now has the ability to find out the way(s) of transmission of outcomes.

INEC had, in 2020, established a consequence viewing portal (IReV) to offer the general public entry to election outcomes from polling items upon completion. In addition to its new technological powers, part 62(2) empowers the fee to keep up a centralised digital election register for e-collation.

The adjustments have since sparked debates on INEC’s skill to successfully change the sport, particularly because the nation prepares for the 2023 normal election.

The considerations could also be drawn from a recollection of a hacked INEC website in 2015 through the accreditation for Nigeria’s presidential and nationwide meeting elections.

In a place paper launched in 2021, nonetheless, the fee argued that the considerations raised have been marked by entrenched partisan positions, incomplete info, unfounded fears, groundless conspiracy theories, and profound misconceptions. 

The place paper was launched to douse the heated talks that had since flared up, because the fee insisted that it had developed “adequate structures and processes to successfully transmit election results electronically”.

But an announcement from INEC in 2022 appeared to have solidified the considerations that the electoral umpire tagged “unfounded fears”.

REPEATED ATTACKS ON INEC’S SYSTEM 

On September 9, whereas talking at a stakeholders’ convention on election consequence administration, Mahmood Yakubu, INEC chairman, stated the fee’s IReV portal had come beneath assault from hackers the world over. He admitted that the fee had recorded a number of makes an attempt to hack the cyber safety system of the consequence viewing portal.

“Another technical concern for us is the repeated attempts to break through our cyber security system for the portal,” the INEC chairman had stated.

“Our engineers reported several cyberattacks on the portal during the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections, some of them from as far as Asia.”

Although Yakubu stated the makes an attempt have been unsuccessful, he famous that the fee wanted to “remain vigilant and strengthen defences”, a far cry from the impression the INEC had earlier portrayed.

OMITTED DATA ON RESULT SHEETS, INCORRECT ELECTION FORMS 

YIAGA Africa, a civil society organisation, additionally shared its findings on the examined digital transmission of leads to the latest Ekiti and Osun governorship elections.

Samson Itodo, YIAGA’s government director, stated the organisation curated an election consequence evaluation dashboard (ERAD) as a pilot impartial audit and integrity take a look at evaluation software for INEC’s consequence administration.

Among the problems found have been wrongly inputted and omitted information on consequence sheets, add of incorrect election varieties, and different inconsistencies that threatened the transparency of the e-transmission course of. 

“In the Ekiti election, 88 result sheets were not entered into the ERAD database due to issues that disabled data entry. Similarly, 87 results were not processed on the ERAD in the Osun election owing to some issues,” Itodo stated.

“Based on the ERAD findings, INEC presiding officers uploaded varieties or paperwork aside from Form EC8A as prescribed within the pointers and guide for the election.

“From the consequence sheets downloaded on the IReV, vital delimitation information such because the variety of registered voters and accredited voters for polling items have been both omitted or wrongly inputted on the Form EC8A.

“The monitoring process also showed a variation in the total number of rejected ballots, and the figures announced by INEC at the final collation.”

Apart from voting, outcomes administration is definitely essentially the most vital facet of election administration. Indeed, for many politicians, it’s maybe extra vital than voting. The purpose for this isn’t farfetched. While voting is an open and public exercise, outcomes administration is normally run by a couple of electoral officers, principally outdoors the glare of the general public. 

The e-transmission of outcomes, INEC stated, would enhance the standard of elections and improve public confidence within the electoral course of. But its debut on the Ekiti and Osun elections has continued to boost questions.  

Although one might attempt to perceive that it’s a new path for the fee, one might additionally argue that there was ample time to solidify defences and techniques to make sure hitch-free e-transmission of outcomes. 

‘WE CAN’T BE 100% SURE OF ACCURACY’

Speaking with TheCable, Adeboye Adegoke, programme supervisor at Paradigm Initiative, stated INEC’s e-transmission would should be equal and inclusive throughout the nation earlier than it may be deemed efficient.

“As an organisation that works on digital rights and inclusion, what we look for in situations like this is the likelihood that every corner of Nigeria has the technology that will enable INEC to be able to do this,” he stated.

“There has been assurance from INEC that they have whatever technology they need to achieve this across the country but what would be problematic would be where in some cases they were able to upload the results on the servers and in some other places they were unable to — in other words manual and digital transmission. It’s going to lead to a lot of malpractices and other problems.”

Omotola Abidemi, information analyst and fellow, Fredrich Ebert Stiftung Open Minds Young Voices, additionally thinks that INEC’s cumbersome obligations and the nation’s frail information system might hamper efforts to successfully transmit outcomes electronically, however believes it’s a needed step.

“As a country, we have a huge problem with data; I can tell you that. We do not have a strong database. Coming from the aspect of data and technology, yes there may be lapses in the BVAS system but that does not mean that this system may not be effective. We’re still struggling with network, so we cannot be sure of 100% accuracy. Servers may even be down from a high level of traffic,” she advised TheCable.

Abidemi added that every one the fears raised are legitimate, and that even “PVC collection was not easy and that was because there were gaps in their technology, how much more the general election?”

INEC: WE’RE AWARE OF OUR SHORTCOMINGS

Repeatedly, INEC has tried to allay the fears of Nigerians on the safety of the BVAS. It maintains the system has been fortified and unfastened ends have been tightened.

The presidency has additionally given the fee backing on using the BVAs within the forthcoming elections.

Femi Adesina, presidential spokesperson, said expertise was instrumental in Buhari’s set up as president and would equally be vital for his successor.

In spite of the continual reassurances, the fee admits there could also be drawbacks.

Rotimi Oyekanmi, INEC’s spokesman, advised TheCable that the fee is conscious of its shortcomings however has adopted strict measures to seamlessly imbibe expertise and improve the belief of Nigerians within the electoral system.

“INEC is aware that the technological world is fraught with dangers. Websites and servers in many countries are constantly hacked or at risk of being hacked by dark forces for various reasons. Luckily, there are also cyber security measures that have proved quite effective against cyber marauders, whose intention is to kill and destroy,” he stated.

“To that extent, and with the benefit of hindsight, the commission has been careful in adopting only the right kind of technology relevant to its need, while taking the issues of cyber security seriously.”

Oyekanmi stated the fee has began overlaying grounds together with “extensive training of staff that will handle the BVAS and ad-hoc staff and will ensure adequate protection of all our sites to be deployed for the 2023 general election”.

But with an elevated variety of registered voters and a doable improve within the variety of voters within the 2023 elections, will INEC be capable to present capability within the administration of outcomes, particularly with the e-transmission?