The Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) said that eight of the over 40 companies that indicated interest to showcase or supply the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) to the commission have presentations.
This follows the commission’s decision to invite the original manufacturers of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) around the world for a virtual or practical demonstration to enable the commission evaluate the available technology for the purposes of electronic voting.
National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Festus Okoye, said on Wednesday that the eight companies made presentations through a combination of physical and virtual means, before an audience of Commission members, a team of Directors and ICT Staff.
“Each company had 30 minutes for its presentation while the question and answer session was also allocated 30 minutes,” Okoye said.
He assured that the commission will continue to update Nigerians on the ongoing process in line with its efforts to deepen the use of technology in elections.
INEC on Monday said that it commenced processes that would lead to replacing manual voting with automated voting or electronics voting system.
The INEC National Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu Mahmood, said this in Abuja at the demonstration of Electronics Voting Machine (EVMs).
According to him, INEC has invited that manufacturers of electronic voting machines around the world to practically demonstrate how the machines work, preparatory to full migration.
He said that the event was another giant step in the commission’s continuous effort to deepen electoral integrity in Nigeria through the deployment of technology.
“Over the years, the commission has been automating the critical pillars of the process. The biometric register of voters has been updated continuously. At the moment, the INEC register of voters is the largest data base of citizens in Nigeria. In addition, the combination of biometric voters’ cards commonly known as the Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) and the Smart Card Reader (SCR) have revolutionised the accreditation of voters during elections.
“More recently, the introduction of a number of portals has facilitated the seamless nomination of candidates for elective offices by political parties as well as the accreditation of observers and the media. Most significantly, the Commission now uploads polling unit level results in real-time on Election Day to a portal for public view.
“These are significant innovations that have deepened the transparency and credibility of elections and the electoral process in Nigeria,” Yakubu said.
