INEC, NCC partner on electronic transmission of results in 2019 polls

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday struck a deal with the Nigerian communications commission (NCC) on electronic transmission of results in the 2019 general elections.

The INEC boss, Prof. Mahmud Yakub disclosed this when he visited his counterpart at the NCC, Prof. Umar Danbata.

Yakubu said his commission was committed to deepening democracy by deploying technology in elections.

He explained that INEC had introduced and deployed the biometric voter register in the 2011 general elections and the smart card reader in the 2015 general elections.

He said the time has come to electronically collate and transmit election results.

He added that the measures would ensure faster transmission of results more accurately from the polling units to the various collation and declaration centres.

Yakubu explained that in several re-run and bye-elections conducted since the 2015, the commission deployed the electronic collation and transmission platforms on a pilot basis.

“We conducted simultaneous electronic and manual transmission of results in some major elections. We are planning full deployment this year in the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states.

Later, they would be replicated in the 2019 general elections.

The NCC executive vice chairman expressed the commission’s commitment to ensuring the success of the polls.

Dambata also stressed the need for synergy among critical stakeholders for the success of the forthcoming polls.

He promised that the commission would not renege in its corporate social responsibility.

According to him, electronic speed technology would be deployed in the collation of results.

He, however, expressed fear over the non-availability of 4G networks in the northern parts of the country.