INEC plans 'hidden' technology joker for 2019 polls

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) plans technology joker for the 2019 elections, its chairman, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, revealed yesterday.


He said the plan would be kept in wraps for now to prevent politicians from sabotaging it.

Prof. Yakubu, who spoke at the Second Inter Party Advisory Council of Nigeria (IPAC) Annual Conference 2017 on Internal Party Democracy, announced that 103 political associations are seeking registration as political parties.

He said INEC would not hesitate to deregister any of the existing 45 political parties that fails to meet the provisions of the law.

“We will continue to deepen the deployment of technology in the conduct of elections in Nigeria. I will not, however, disclose to the general public what we are going to do in the run up to the 2019 general elections because I guess that there are people listening to me so that they don’t find a way round what INEC is doing.

“Election is the only thing I know should be transparent because every process is supposed to be open and transparent but the outcome is uncertain because the outcome is in the hands of the voters. I want to once again reassure Nigerians that the commission will continue to approach the responsibility with courage and will never fail. Whoever wins at the ballot box becomes the person so elected. Parties are critical to democracy and our law is very clear that no one will contest election in Nigeria unless sponsored by a political party. We don’t have independent candidate yet.

“We have 45 registered political parties and as at last week, 103rd application was received from political associations seeking registration and I am sure that more would have been received.

“When we presented certificates to the newly registered political parties, that were parties qualified to be deregistered under the law, we shall also courageously deregister political parties since the provisions of the law is very clear in that respect,” he warned.