2019 election results will be transmitted electronically from polling units - INEC

macfranc007 January 31, 2018 Nigeria News today & Breaking news ▷ Read Nigerian newspapers 24/7 Nurudeen Lawal

- INEC has solicited the support of the NCC in its conduct of 2019 elections

- The electoral commission said it will announce 2019 election results electronically and issue physical copies of results to party agents

- NCC promised to assist the electoral body in ensuring that 2019 elections are free, fair and credible

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it will announce 2019 election results electronically in addition to issuing physical copies of results of the 2019 elections to party agents.

The electoral body, therefore, called on telecoms service providers to assist the commission.

The chairman of INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, said this when he visited the executive vice-chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Professor Umar Danbatta, in Abuja on Tuesday, January 30.

Punch reports that Yakubu said the same mechanism would be used in the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections in July and September, respectively.

He said: “We are planning for full deployment (of electronic and manual transmission) this year in governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun. Thereafter we intend to deploy the system in the 2019 general elections.

“INEC has developed the hardware and software. However, we rely on the operators for the transmission of both the figures and scanned images of result sheets. We wish to assure Nigerians that while we transmit the raw figures from polling units, scanned images of the result sheets will also be transmitted electronically in addition to physical copies given to party agents at polling units.”

The INEC boss appealed to the NCC to facilitate a meeting between INEC and the telecommunications operators with the aim of assisting the electoral body in the conduct of the election.

He added: “Similarly, we would like the NCC to facilitate discussions with operators on ways of enhancing their corporate social responsibility to Nigeria’s electoral process. An immediate area of interest to INEC is how the operators can help in voter education and publicity.

“Towards the 2019 general elections, we would like the operators in collaboration with INEC, to send bulk SMS and possibly voice messages as well on the imperative of peaceful elections, the collection of Permanent Voter Cards by registered voters and directional information on the location of polling units for easy access to voters.”

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The executive vice-chairman of the NCC, in his response, said his agency would assist the electoral body to ensure that the 2019 elections are free, fair and credible.

Dabatta said the NCC would try to improve the security of the communications system before the 2019 election so that it would be effective for the dissemination of election results.

NAIJ.com previously reported that the committee on electoral matters of Nigeria's House of Representatives on Monday, January 29, asked the INEC to forward its budget estimates for the 2019 general elections within 30 days, New Telegraph reports.

While addressing the session, the committee headed by Aisha Dukku gave the directive during the 2017/2018 budget defence.

He urged the commission to ensure accountability and transparency in its budget, which is significant reform itself, with a multiplier effect on electoral reform.

Dukku also stressed the need for the commission to put necessary measures in place towards the conduct free, fair and credible elections in 2018 and 2019.

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