In an interview with reporters on Thursday, Precious Nwadimuya, the head of the NBA Abuja branch, commended INEC for implementing the bimodal voter accreditation system (BVAS), which worked well in accrediting voters but failed in the transmission of results. Nwadimuya suggested that technology should also be used in the voting process.
Nwadimuya noted that the introduction of online voting would make it possible for voters to cast their votes from the comfort of their homes, eliminating the possibility of voter suppression, intimidation, and vote-buying.
He added that the BVAS helped to prevent the manipulation of votes, as the system captured the number of people accredited to vote, and the results could not be inflated beyond what was recorded in the BVAS.
However, Nwadimuya criticized INEC for failing to adequately prepare for the 2023 elections, despite the huge amount of money set aside for logistics.
He said that the polling unit officers could not leave the INEC offices where they were given the election materials because there was no transportation arranged for them. This, he said, created logistical problems and hindered the smooth conduct of the elections.
The call for online voting comes in the wake of reports of widespread voter suppression and election violence in previous elections in Nigeria.
The NBA believes that the introduction of online voting would help to reduce these issues and ensure that more people are able to exercise their right to vote. It remains to be seen whether INEC will heed the call and introduce online voting in the upcoming elections.