A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC), of the Catholic Archdiocese of Ibadan, has tasked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on transparency and to ensure all promises and plans to execute the forthcoming election translate to good result.
The NGO said despite the potentials of the newly introduced Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) to be deployed for the forthcoming elections, likely loopholes that may frustrate the initiative must be well taken care of ahead of the election.
The Director, JDPC, Rev. Fr. Jerome Ajakaiye, made the call, on Tuesday, while speaking with journalists, after facilitating the demonstration of the functionalities of the BVAS machine to educate media practitioners and other stakeholders.
The interactive session also provided an opportunity for INEC to answer questions and address concerns, while also creating an avenue for educating media practitioners in a bid to aid their knowledge on the new technology.
Ajakaiye said: “From the presentation, the BVAS that they have showed us how it is to be used seem like an invention that could work if all things happen as it has been shown to us. We beckon on INEC to give us reasons to be hopeful again through the forthcoming 2023 elections and that is what we ask for, we are not asking for too much.”
The cleric disclosed that the purpose of the demonstration meeting is to show the media how the voting system works and to inform them of the effort INEC is putting in place to ensure that the coming election in 2023 would be fair, free, credible and that the mandate of the people would be honoured and done, so as to pass the message to the members of the public.
Speaking earlier, the Head, Democracy and Human Rights, JDPC, Ibadan, Adenike Ibitara, said the meeting is to facilitate the passing of right and correct information about the BVAS to the media so they would have better understanding in spreading the message to the electorate in order to allay the fears of the members of the public concerning the process and credibility issues that they may have.
Ibitara stated: “INEC is the one that is giving the information, the media itself is not going to be issuing out assumptions or presumptions. But, rather, the facts as they are from the organisation that has the duty to actually conduct the entire election process, before, during and after the elections.”
She explained that the JDPC, Ibadan, is also interacting with Community Based Organisation (CBOs), community leaders and religious leaders, among other relevant stakeholders, to ensure that they not only have access to right and correct information but also spread same within their sphere of influence.
Reacting to the meeting, the Deputy Director, Programmes, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Ibadan Zonal Station, Niyi Dahunsi, who participated, harped on the importance of boosting the confidence of the electorate as to the transparency of the electoral umpire ahead of the forthcoming polls.
“This meeting is going to boost the morale and confidence of the people in INEC and the electioneering process as the 2023 general elections draws closer and that their choice will reflect in what the electoral umpire would announce as result,” Dahunsi said.
N.O
