5Minutes – Read
1004Words (Approximately)

Does paper or e-voting determine election credibility?

Electronic voting

On Thursday, May 2, 2024, I was among millions of Londoners who went to the polls to elect the next mayor of London and seats in the London Assembly. I arrived at my polling unit at 6:24 pm and left there at 6:29 pm. There was no glitch, hitch, or hassle. Worthy of mention is that it was a pencil and paper election. I stood there almost with my mouth ajar and as usual, my mind pondering about a lot of things, which included memories of Nigeria’s 2023 general elections. I am not used to comparing Nigeria to other countries because I know every place in the world has its peculiar challenges, but I couldn’t help it this time.

After exercising my voting rights as a legal resident, I became more concerned for my dear country. ‘When will our elections get to this point,’ I asked myself. Although the election had a voter turnout of less than 45 per cent, there was so much to learn from the process. In Nigeria, I have heard self-deluded people (mostly among those who think they have political power because of their proximity to the seat of government) say, “Nigeria’s politics is deep.” But what’s deep about our politics that we cannot all agree to conduct ourselves appropriately to elect our leaders? What is deep about our politics that despite the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, Result Viewing portal, and all manner of names we give to technologies that ought to make elections smoother, we still fall short of having smooth, fair, and credible elections? Why is it that after elections, disgruntled candidates are still crisscrossing our courts to seek electoral victory despite the billions the Independent National Electoral Commission received to conduct the election? What is deep about the politics of a nation that leaves voters injured or dead? What is deep in all of these? I ask again. Why can’t we just vote quietly like Londoners? So, is British politics shallow and Nigeria’s deep? Oh, please take your deep stuff; I want a shallow election that’s free, fair, and credible.

Of recent, Britain’s Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, announced the date for a general election – July 4. That’s less than two months for politicians to campaign, for the electoral umpire to prepare and for millions of British people to go to the polls. Despite such short notice, the chances of the election having any hassle are low. Less than 60 days! But in places like Nigeria where INEC has four whole years to prepare for an election, we end up having an election that citizens cannot unanimously agree is fair and credible. Let nobody daresay elections are over. Even if they are over, it doesn’t mean we should stop preparing and trying to improve on the next one.

There are two obvious things with elections in Britain: the election philosophy of the electorate and the independence of the institutions. We voted with paper and pencils in the London elections, yet there was no record of any electoral malpractice, examples of which you might know, have seen and experienced in the Nigeria elections. This goes to show that it doesn’t matter if we digitalise our elections, deploy BVAS, IREV, or any kind of technology to make the process easier and fair (which by the way hasn’t proven to be effective) — if our collective philosophy about elections is wrong, no technology will save our elections. But if the philosophy is right, paper and pencil will just be enough to produce a fair electoral contest, as I saw in the London election. Manipulating election results or destroying ballot boxes is almost impossible in Britain because the people understand that elections are more than numbers but people’s lives. They know that whoever gets political power can directly make or mar you — a kind of mindset many Nigerian voters don’t have.

Today, it appears that INEC has hibernated, but now is the time for work — to build the electoral philosophy we need for the 2027 elections. To begin to sensitise people to the impact that whoever they select at the polls can have on their lives. Having the right philosophy as citizens during elections is crucial for the health and progress of any democracy. An informed and thoughtful electorate ensures that decisions made at the polls reflect a deep understanding of societal needs and long-term goals. Moreover, a well-developed civic philosophy fosters a sense of responsibility and engagement, encouraging citizens to participate actively in democratic processes. One of my family members was in London to see me last year, yet she participated in the Finnish parliamentary elections at the embassy. Nigeria is unarguably far from this kind of process. If we can’t conduct elections effectively at home, we have no business with diaspora voting. If people at home still think their vote doesn’t count, it’ll be impossible for citizens overseas to believe their votes will count. Philosophy is vital and it takes time to form, but today is another opportunity for INEC to start.

Having a credible election requires more than methods but mindset. I expect INEC to be thinking about how they can live up to their role by being independent. It’s the only way to ensure free and fair elections. In addition, INEC should set a target in 2027 to reduce the number of electoral court cases by doing their job with excellence. We will not be bamboozled by the introduction of other or existing technologies that have consistently failed us or promises that have only left Nigerians disappointed. The umpire should stick to preventing undue influence and corruption, foster public trust and confidence, and ensure that our election outcomes accurately reflect the will of the people. Whether it is paper or e-voting, if Nigerians are properly informed and INEC discharges its responsibilities diligently, we can move a step closer to becoming like Britain.