*says plot to remove INEC Chairman, stop BVAS, threat to democracy
By Michael Oche
The credibility of Nigeria’s 2023 general elections and the country’s democracy is under threat, following allegations of plots to coarse the Independent National Electoral Commission to jettison the use of BIVAS, an election observer group, Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA) has said.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Friday, CTA Executive Director, Faith Nwadishi said Nigerians must rise to defend the independence of the Electoral Body and protect the nation’s democracy.
Nwadishi said allegation by the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) of a purported move by some politicians to compromise the 2023 elections, by mounting pressures on INEC to deactivate the BVAS is both worrisome and scary.
She said it is a known fact that recent innovations introduced by INEC has led to steady improvement in credibility, acceptability, and inclusivity of elections in 2015 and 2019 as well as the 103 off cycle elections and bye elections after the 2019 general elections.
The CTA noted that President Muhammadu Buhari is a beneficiary of a free election in 2015 and 2019 made possible by the card reader technology introduced by INEC.
She said also that President Buhari has also promised repeatedly that he will bequeath a legacy of a free, fair and credible elections in 2023.
“As a beneficiary of free election, one of which led to the defeat of an incumbent, Nigerians strongly believe that there is nothing that will make the President to renege on that important promise to Nigerians” Nwadishi said.
Enumerating the benefits of the BVAS, she said the new technology has eliminated multiple accreditation that was observed in previous elections, it has increased public confidence in the outcome of elections as shown in the recent off cycle elections and results can be uploaded after collation to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) Portal
She said, “CTA is pleased to state that so far, we are impressed with the level of preparation and accomplishment by the Independent National Electoral Commission the recent of which is the upsurge during the just concluded continuous voter registration exercise.
“We have observed the innovations introduced by the Electoral Body to increase transparency and ensure credibility of the electoral process.
“These innovations especially those leveraging on technology to improve voter accreditation, result management have so far increased voter’s confidence in the electoral process. CTA observes that some of the pre-election activities are exuding hope and confidence that the process of 2023 general election is on a cheering trajectory.”
She frowned at the role being played by the political class in ensure the credibility of the electoral process, saying they haven’t shown enough commitment to free, fair and credible polls.
She said: “For instance, they are yet to show commitment to the new Electoral Act and its provisions and continue in their old ways of heating up the polity using hate speeches and not addressing issues. You may recall that CTA in a press conference on 29th September 2022 set an agenda for the campaigns.
“We are yet to see the political parties addressing any aspect of the agenda. On -14th September 2022 CUPP made startling revelations on the attempt to compromise INEC voter register. About four weeks later, the same CUPP made another damning revelation on the attempt to compromise the 2023 general elections. Before we delve into the substance of CUPP’s revelations, CTA puts on record that President Buhari is a beneficiary of a free election in 2015 and 2019 made possible by the card reader technology introduced by INEC.
