The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed plans to manually transmit results of the November 11 governorship election in Bayelsa State.
INEC State’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Obo Effanga, made the plan known on Wednesday.
But, Coalition of Pro-Democracy Organisations in Nigeria, an amalgamation of groups committed to ensuring transparency, fairness, and accountability in the electoral process, has vehemently rejected the proposal by INEC to abandon electronic transmission of results in the forthcoming governorship elections.
During a meeting in Abuja on Thursday, the group said the planned manual transmission of results being proposed in the forthcoming governorship election, was an attempt at allowing desperate politicians to manipulate the will of the Bayelsa electorate during the election.
National Secretary, Campaign for Democracy (CD) Comrade Olufemi, and Comrade Atani John of Niger Delta Democratic Vanguard, who signed the communique on behalf of the Coalition, said: “We believe that the integrity and credibility of any election depend on the transparency of the electoral process, including the accurate and timely transmission of results.
“Electronic transmission of results is a vital component of ensuring the authenticity and fairness of elections, and its abandonment would undermine the trust of the electorate, Nigerians and the international community in the electoral process.
“The use of technology in the transmission of election results has proven to be a valuable tool in reducing electoral fraud, promoting accountability, and delivering more accurate and timely results to the public. It enhances the transparency of the electoral process and minimises the potential for manipulation or tampering with results at various stages.
“We urge the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reconsider its proposal and uphold the principles of transparency and accountability in the Bayelsa State Governorship Election.
“We call on INEC to ensure that the electronic transmission of results is not only maintained but also improved upon to guarantee the credibility of the electoral process.
“As critical Stakeholders in the Nigerian project, we are committed to monitoring the upcoming Bayelsa State Governorship Election closely, and we will continue to advocate for transparency, fairness, and the highest standards of integrity in the electoral process.
“We call on all stakeholders, including political parties, civil society organisations, and the international community, to join us in safeguarding the integrity of this critical election.
“Finally, we urge the people of Bayelsa to rise and safeguard democracy, and avoid the a rape of our democracy.”
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