Electronic voting is possible in Nigeria - Gov. El-Rufai

Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna state has stated that with political will and right determination, electronic voting is possible in future elections in Nigeria.

Gov. El-rufai of Kaduna state | Source: sagagist.com.ng

Speaking in a statewide broadcast on Wednesday after the Council election in the State last Saturday, Governor El-Rufai opined that the success recorded in the last Local Government election conducted via eletronic voting in the State was a demonstration that it was possible to be adopted across the country.

 

Governor Nasir El-Rufai observed that the success recorded in Southern Kaduna Senatorial District for giving the All Progressive Congress (APC), victory at the polls, showed the election as a unifying moment and significant in advancing political consensus in the state and overcoming divisions.

According to the Governor, his administration had placed the credibility and integrity of the electoral process above the discredited practice of previous governments of winner takes all.

The Governor expressed delight with the electorates for showing, for the second time, that there was no impediment to the successful adoption of electronic voting technology in Nigeria.

 

Gov. El-Rufai explained that voters in the state first made history on May 12, 2018, when they cast their ballots on electronic voting machines to elect chairmen and councillors for the 23 local government councils in the state.

He further explained that the election had placed Kaduna State as the first in Nigeria to use electronic voting and also the first subnational in Africa to do so.

He noted that the use of the electronic voting also positioned Nigeria as the second country in Africa after Namibia to use the technology.

The governor said, “The local government elections of 4th September 2021 further validated the Kaduna State Government’s decision to invest in Electronic Voting Machines to promote electoral integrity and transparency.”

According to Governor El-Rufai, “Kaduna state is proudly upholding a new chapter in elections in Nigeria, using electronic voting technology, championed by a government that is determined to respect the outcome, win or lose.”

As governor of Kaduna state, he said that he has always taken the view that “we all win when democracy triumphs.”