At a high-level panel session convened by the Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership during the launch of the Athena Election Observatory in Abuja, leading political figures, Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State, Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State, and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), called for deep reforms, stronger institutions, and improved transparency in Nigeria’s electoral process.
Themed ‘Innovation in Electoral Technology 2015-2025: Gains, Gaps and the Road Ahead,’ the forum brought together policymakers, academics, and civil society actors to assess the impact of technology on Nigeria’s elections, especially the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and INEC Result Viewing (IREV) portal systems by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Governor Chukwuma Soludo commended the progress made by INEC under Professor Mahmood Yakubu, describing the agency’s technological advancements as transformational.
He recalled that Anambra was the first state where INEC deployed the BVAS and IREV on a statewide basis and will likely be the last state to conduct an election under Yakubu’s tenure.
‘I believe in technology, and I believe INEC has done greatly well. We must give INEC some credit. There are a few bad eggs, but a lot of good people there have delivered credible results’, Soludo said.
The governor noted that the transition from manual to electronic processes represented a remarkable leap from past elections, particularly when compared to the 2007 polls.
‘If the experience in Anambra since 2019 is anything to go by, we can score INEC’s performance at 90 percent, clear, transparent, open, and accountable,’ he added.
Soludo, however, stressed the need for better staff training and strict enforcement of penalties for officials who violate INEC regulations. ‘Those who collate and falsify results must be prosecuted and jailed. INEC must train its officers properly, and political parties must do the same for their agents’, he noted.
Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State commended Athena for organizing the dialogue, describing it as a timely intervention ahead of upcoming elections.
He applauded INEC’s introduction of the BVAS system as a very good innovation but called for deeper integration between BVAS and the IREV portal to ensure real-time transparency.
‘For me, going forward, let there be proper integration of BVAS and IREV. As accreditation is happening, voting results should reflect online in real time. Infrastructure is key to solving this problem because technology depends on connectivity’, Gov Lawal said.
Lawal urged Nigeria to emulate countries like India, Brazil, and Ghana, where technology has greatly reduced manipulation in elections. He emphasized that the success of any electoral innovation rests on the rule of law, institutional strength, and security integrity. ‘Let us build institutions, not individuals. Without rule of law, no matter what we do here, it amounts to nothing. Politicians must stop using security to intimidate voters for selfish interests’, he stated.
Rauf Aregbesola, former Minister of Interior and now ADC National Secretary, argued that the credibility of elections begins with how INEC officials are appointed.
‘The issues in Nigerian elections are not as simple as we make them. The way the INEC Chairman and Commissioners are appointed does not inspire confidence. We must review it’, Aregbesola said.
He proposed a system where political parties with at least five members in the National Assembly would nominate candidates for INEC leadership positions to ensure fairness and inclusivity.
‘It may require constitutional amendment, but it can be done. The principal beneficiary of manipulation cannot be the one appointing the umpire’, he noted.
Aregbesola also urged INEC to publicly demonstrate any technology it intends to deploy before elections, emphasizing transparency and stakeholder confidence. ‘Don’t tell us you are using BVAS only for us to discover a different system on election day,’ he cautioned.
He further recommended linking voter registration to the National Identification Number (NIN) to eliminate inflated voter registers and multiple registrations.
‘It does not speak well that we register 93 million voters and get less than 20 million votes. A credible register is the foundation of credible elections’, he said.
The panelists agreed that while electoral technology such as BVAS and IREV have improved transparency, institutional weaknesses, poor training, lack of accountability, and political interference remain major obstacles.
They called for continuous innovation, stakeholder engagement, and legal reforms to strengthen Nigeria’s democracy and restore citizens’ confidence in the ballot.