The Nigerian Army on Thursday in
Abuja urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to work toward
using science and information technology to conduct subsequent elections in
order to reduce human interference.
Chief of Army Staff, Lt.General
Tukur Buratai, who was represented by Brig-Gen John Ochai, former Brigade
Commander of 22 Army Brigade in Dikwa, Borno, made the call at an Electoral
Reform Roundtable in Abuja.
Speaking on the theme: “Securing
Nigerian Elections,” Buratai said that after the 2019 elections, the army
conducted an inquiry into the complaints raised by Nigerians.
He said that it came to a
conclusion that any personnel found wanting would be punished accordingly,
adding that the claim of the militarisation of the elections was not true.
“I think it is going to the
extreme to say that the elections were militarised because the military
participation was based on constitutional provision, which empowered the
government to deploy the military in aid of civil authority.
“Going forward, the way to go is
science and technology and other innovative methods by INEC to make it
necessary to provide the type of security needed to secure our elections.
“For instance, if we adopt the
electronic voting system, it will go a long way in reducing human interference
and take people off polling units on Election Day.
“The advantage is that, we will
have more people voting especially those in Diaspora; the issue of collation of
results should also be done electronically.
“That way, the value placed on
result sheets for which people get killed would be reduced just like in Benue
where thugs laid ambush on the officials bringing the results,’’ he said.
The chief of army staff said that
if Nigeria’s elections would be secured, technology was the way forward, adding
that more than 20 countries including Namibia were already practising it.
He urged INEC to begin right away
to plan other innovations ahead of the 2013 elections thereby reducing the
activities of security agents in elections, NAN reports.
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