INEC To Continue To ‘Deepen Use Of Technology’ In Elections

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mahmood Yakubu on Friday said the electoral umpire will continue to deepen the use of technology in conducting elections across the country.

Professor Yakubu made the comment while speaking at the opening ceremony of a two-day retreat for officers of the commission in Keffi, Nasarawa state.

According to him, INEC does not need new laws to deploy certain technologies.

Professor Mahmoud’s comment comes weeks after the National Assembly was divided over whether the electronic transmission of election results should be sacrosanct in the latest amendment of the electoral act.

“The one that is new and innovative that we are deploying in Anambra is the security app, in view of what happened recently with our facilities in a number of places around the country,” he said.

“So we may have different tools, but they all work towards achieving one and the same goal.

“There are some activities, some aspects of technology that we have deployed that the laws are already adequate for us to continue to deploy these tools.

“We don’t need any specific provisions of law, for instance, to deploy the EMSC ( Election Monitoring and Support Centre).

“We don’t need any specific provisions of the law to keep deepening the use of technology for voters registration, for instance, which we are doing.”