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THE ELECTORAL PROCESS
The Nigerian electoral process over the years has been known for its epileptic and unstable procedures, so to say. The ballot box snatching, the indiscriminate shootings and the overall failure in the electoral process, which Is spiced up with rigging of the elections.
Today, the Nigerian Electoral body INEC has successfully made a giant stride to tackling these issues arising in the electoral process. I would be taking us on a tour through our electoral system.
SUCCESS IN THE ELECTORAL PROCESS
I would be sharing success in the electoral process as deduced from the just concluded Osun State government election. Few days ago, these deductions are subject to constructive criticism too.
BEAVER SYSTEM:
With the introduction of the beaver system, the rate at which the accreditation and verification of voters has been increased. Beaver is an offline facial recognition device which stores the facial identity of everyone in the electoral commission database. It has made elections pretty easier to decide and a faster approach too to the process.
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SECURITY INTERVENTION:
It is no news as the security of the electorate these days are ensured as the elections we're carried out smoothly. There has been no report of security glitch or incessant report of insurgency in these polling units. This is because the security has intervened in various areas bringing the election to polling units a safe place for voting activities.
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RESULT BOOST:
Long before now, election counting and collection and result announcement has taken long hours before being released, but it's with great joy that I reveal that INEC results after elections takes less than 16 hours to announce results as the beaver system mounted in places makes data counting and release on the electoral portal easier and faster. This remains a huge success on their part.
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EDUCATIVE ENLIGHTENMENT:
It's no news as the youths are chief pioneers of the electoral matters these days. They troop out in their masses to participate in electoral processes. It's gradually moving from the era of parents and the male gender deciding elections to the younger generation participating in electoral processes due to adequate enlightenment, on the part of these young ones. Therefore educational enlightenment has improved d the electoral process of the country positively.
HARDWORK:
Major stakeholders and most especially the NYSC Corp members doubled their work rate this period. All hands were on deck to see a smooth electoral process. They attended to all electorates as they all performed their civic responsibility. This is great work on their part and should be commended duly.
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FAILURES OF THE ELECTORAL PROCESS
BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION:
This is a major stench still seen in the electoral process. The political party delegates try to buy votes of the citizens. They offer you money to buy your votes, denying you civic rights with instruments of government such as money so as to get your will turned to do their biddings.
scenario;
Mr. Femi is a political party agent who is in charge of buying votes from electorates, he sits close to the ballot box and tends to pretend sick, gives an electorate his mobile device, there is a text on the phone given to his victim, it says he would be rewarded 10,000 naira if he votes for her party and he lures him towards a quiet place, while he preaches the doom to his friends alongside him and the electoral process becomes adulterated
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POLITICAL APATHY
Most women and the elderly people do not find exercising their civic rights a need, due to ignorance or other psychological reasons. It is a major failure and the faster it is tackled the better our electoral system becomes.
EPILEPTIC TECHNOLOGY
It was noticed in the just concluded Osun governorship elections that the beavers used for data capture and verification, had temporary glitch and these factors could discourage an eager crowd if the technology is not in perfect working conditions.
CONCLUSION
The government has a major role to play in the 2023 elections. Major stakeholders should make sure all prerequisite for a smooth elections are in place. Together we champion a better electoral process.