OPEN LETTER TO INEC CHAIRMAN

26th November, 2019.

Dear Sir,

Election in democracy is a key role to good governance, as election is the act of chosing a credible leader that will lead the people in a democratic rule of government.

Election in Nigeria has gone a long way, from the time of FEDECO through NECON to INEC as an electoral commission.

Since the present introduction of democracy in 1999, Election had played many vital role in the life of electorates both positive and negative, looking at the outcome of the 2019 general election including Kogi and Bayelsa state Election.

Following the introduction of Permanent Voters Card (PVC) by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the PVC should have the ability to have the same function as it's financial counterpart - ATM card.

If ATM card can work in other machine aside the financial institution that issued it, then there is no problem if the PVC can allow voters to vote in any location or channel.

A situation where a voter registered in Lagos State and later relocated to Ogun State but such individual will have to transfer his/her PVC before he/she can be liable to vote, this should have been resolved by INEC because once you are a registered voter, you should be liable to vote provided the card reader can read your card.

Meanwhile, all card reader should be upgraded to read any authentic PVC card and not for only PVC designated for a particular polling unit (PU).

Another upgrading that INEC Should work on is E-voting. If I can press code on my phone and perform transaction on my bank account, then INEC should establish a voting or INEC code that will enable eligible voters to vote from any location through his/her phone.

In addition, our phone number is linked to bank account and some use their Permanent Voters Card (PVC) as a means of identity in the bank. Therefore, there should be a cordial relationship between Central Bank Of Nigeria (CBN), National Communication Commission (NCC) and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to foster the linkage of the phone number to the PVC, and liase with CBN to know how they can perform the operation successfully.

A good number of Nigerians of voting age have phone number and one of the way to reduce those Electoral violence that we always record at every Polling Unit is to encourage E-voting.

E-voting is a way that enable average Nigerian of voting age to exercise their civic duty from their phone or computer without living their comfort zone.

During E-voting, there is nothing like ballot box snatching and electoral violence a t Polling Units or at collation centres.

The only problem that is liable to occur during E-voting is website hacking, and INEC, being an independent commission has what it takes to secure their website from hackers and give us update details of the progress of the election from time to time at various polling station (both Polling Units and E-voting channels).

The only step back that this proposal is liable to encounter is the approval of the E-voting bill by the National Assembly (NASS).

But if INEC can pass this bill of E-voting to the National Assembly and National Assembly can pass it to law prior to the 2023 general election, it will be a right thing in the right direction because if I can monitor United States election from the corner of my room, then I should be able to monitor my country's Election too.

Also, introduction of E-voting will also reduce the money spent on vote buying, Election Tribunal, and transportation of personnel.

Finally, I will advice the chairman of INEC, Prof Mahmud Yakubu, to please work on this open letter and act according to its benefits to average Nigerians.

Thank you and God bless.

Long live INEC

Long live Federal Republic of Nigeria

Signed: Good Citizen of Nigeria (GCON).