[Opinion] BEAMING OUR SEARCHLIGHT ON THE NEWS MAKING HEADLINES ACROSS NIGERIA

The electoral body in Nigeria, the Independent National Electoral Commission is insisting that the result of the 2019 election were not transmitted electronically to it's server. Stressing that the commission only experimented the technology during some staggering elections held in 2018. Speaking during the post retreat organised by the commission for its staffs and ad-hoc staffs engaged for the last general election in Osun state, INEC National Commissioner, Mr. Solomon Sowebi, explained that many factors forced the commission to drop the idea of electronic transmission of results to it's central server. According to him, INEC experimented the electronic transmission of results during Anambra, Sokoto and Osun states election, held before the 2019 elections. But the commission did not sustain the use of technology during the 2019 general elections.

       DISQUS

Well I think the clarification is helpful, given the fact that  the server has become a major issue, particularly at the presidential election petition tribunal, where the lawyers representing former vice president  Atiku Abubakar requested access to the server. That has generated some controversy when INEC suddenly came forward and said that they did not really have an electronic server, and that they did not use it.

This clarification would shed some light on it. As the INEC director pointed out that they only experimented with the technology in Anambra, Sokoto and Osun state, when they had staggered elections in 2018. And the excuse again that was given was that they couldn't use electronic transfer of results in 2019 general elections because they didn't get their budget on time, and two, the controversy over the electoral act amendment bill. And they relied on the electoral act 2010, of which probably does not provide for the use of technology. 

However the other argument that has been put up by Nigerians is that they don't know whether INEC eventually got exploited. Because in the line item, there was provision for the use of technology, and that what happened? There must be proper accounting if indeed that line item was cash backed, and money was released for that purpose to INEC. Yet of course in the long run, Nigerians will like to see a situation whereby there is greater reliance of technology. Because that is the way of the world, that is the way it is done in most parts of the world today. 

What then remains in all of this is for the tribunal to determine what exactly Atiku Abubakar's lawyers will have access to. Even if there is no server, there must be some form of documentation. And one of the major issues is that lawyers of the PDP are at the tribunal insisting that they need to inspect INEC's records. So even if there is no server, I believe they should be given access to look at the documentation, the collation of results and all of that. But that is for the tribunal to determine at this point. 

Following a fresh outbreak of violence in Jalingo on Monday, the Taraba state government has imposed a dusk to dawn curfew in Jalingo and it's environs. In a press statement that was signed by Bala Dan Abu, Senior Special Adviser to the Governor, the curfew was going to be from 4pm-6am until further notice. There have been some violence attacks on communities within Jalingo and it's environs by suspected Herdsmen. On Sunday they claimed two lives, and put the entire town into panic as residents moved away from troubled areas to safer environments. Security officers led by the military were able to restore normalcy before dawn. On Monday evening, combined team of the military and mobile policemen engaged the assailants in gun duel. 

      DISQUS

This is sad news going on not just Taraba state, even in Borno state where there were suicide attacks and so many lives were lost. Even in Zamfara state. The whole North West seems to be under siege, and the security situation in the country seems to be getting worse every day. One of the papers today was touching increased inflation, including food crisis that may occur partly as a result of these insecurity challenges that the country faces. Because farmers are affected, everybody is affected, lives are been lost. 

President Buhari of course has commiserate with persons who lost lives, but as we say on this platform when we are confronted with tragedies of this nature, we expect a different kind of result. We expect government to do more to protect lives and property. As we talked about Taraba, we also have Borno state in Madagale Local government, we have in Zamfara. In Zamfara we were told that the governor is going to Dubai to look for solution to the problem of banditry in Zamfara state. But I expect that a lot more be done about security situation in the country.