Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta, on Monday decried National Assembly’s rejection of electronic-transmission of elections results.
Speaking when he received the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Pastor Monday Udoh-Tom and his management team on an advocacy visit on Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), Okowa said that the lawmakers’ action could be interpreted that there was a plan to rig elections.
He, however, commended Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its efforts at ensuring the credibility of the electoral process and for declaring that it had capacity to transmit results electronically.
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The governor warned that rejection of electronic transmission of election results could deter the country’s effort at attracting Foreign Direct Investments.
“Once Nigerians trust our electoral process, many Nigerians will come out to register and vote during elections. We need to change the narrative of many Nigerians that whether they vote or not, results will still come out the way they want it.
“I want to specially congratulate the INEC Chairman for coming out to insist that INEC has the capacity to truly transmit election results and I do not see any reason why any Nigerian would want to vote for non-transmission of election results.
“It’s actually very wrong. It gives the people the impression that people are out to rig elections from day one. It’s not the best for us as a nation and it sends wrong communication,” he said.
Okowa assured that he would make a broadcast to sensitise the people and various groups in the state, religious leaders and traditional rulers on the ongoing CVR.
He said that the state would continue to carry out voter education and urged all government functionaries to mobilise their people for the exercise.
The governor expressed worry that the exercise was starting at the local government level and advocated that INEC should move from ward to ward to ensure effective registration of the citizens.
“The cost of traveling particularly in the riverside areas is quite high so if INEC has the intention to be duly registered, there is a need to consider ward to ward movement,’’ he noted.
Earlier, the REC expressed appreciation to the governor for ensuring security of INEC’s staff and assets during the attacks on government institutions by unknown gunmen.
He said that from July 26, INEC would deploy physical registration for those who could not register through the online facility.
