By Jubril Bada

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As the 2023 general elections are less than two years, political parties have expressed lack of confidence in the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to conduct credible elections despite all the introduced innovation devices by the commission ahead of the polls.
They explained that, for Nigerians to have confidence in the election process of the country, the election umpire has a lot to do in checkmating the credibility problem involved in the country’s election.
In separate interviews with The Hope, the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the Accord Party, AP, in Ondo State even though they described the INEC Voter Enrollment Device, IVED, as a welcome development urged the commission to be sincere in conducting the 2023 general elections.
The State Director of Media and Publicity of the APC, Mr. Steve Otaloro, noted that, no matter the device the commission will put in place, it will still be subjected to hacking.
He said “even the best of technology can still be hacked. With the best technology being used by United States of America today its websites are being allegedly hacked by Russia and China.
Describing the IVED for election to eliminate the possibility of voting by identity theft using another person’s PVCs on election day as a welcome development, Otaloro said the INEC should concentrate on how to make voter registration compulsory for those who have attained the age of 18 with their voters card being delivered to them as solution to prevent voting by identity theft.
“As politicians always find their ways manipulated on election day, if all Nigerians are registered and given their PVCs, it will be difficult for them to be hired by politicians because they would prefer to vote.
He pointed out that the INEC registration was extremely faulty following the thousands of PVCs are yet to be distributed by the commission to their rightful owners.
“Does it means that INEC cannot devise means to register Nigerians who have attained the age of 18 or release PVCs that are still with them to their owners.
“No matter the technology put in place without registrants getting their voter’s cards it will be meaningless” he stated
Otaloro maintained that the electoral body should rather find means to register eligible voters and have their cards given to them, saying anything aside this will always give room for politicians to circumvent the system to their own favour.
He, however, called on INEC to engage in house to house registration rather than the ongoing online registration to avoid low registration due to the low level of understanding of online registration by some Nigerians.
Contributing, the State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Kennedy Peretei, described the credibility of an election process as a measure of the confidence reposed by the electorates on election, saying that credibility problem makes democracy not to grow and result into loss of people’s interest in participating in election.
Noting Smart Card Reader as part of several measures put in place by the immediate past National Chairman of INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, the spokesperson, however, said the present leadership of the commission under Prof. Yakubu Mahmood has not demonstrated a commitment to credible Elections.
Peretei, who described the lack of commitment of the present leadership of the electoral body towards credible election as sad reality said the IVED will be a welcome development if INEC will be sincere.
He, however, supported electronic transmission of election results as the best way Nigeria should go to avoid concocted figures at election collation centres.
Also, the State Chairman of the AP, Dr. Ajibola Falaiye, expressed doubt in the efforts of INEC to succeed in using technology for the perfect conduct of election due to the influence of politicians over the commission.
He said efforts of the INEC would be appreciated if it can avoid the influence of politicians over its services before, during and after election.