2023: Days of rigging, ballot box snatching over, INEC warns politicians, parties

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned political parties and politicians that the era of rigging and ballot box snatching during elections is over.

INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, expressed the optimism at a capacity-building workshop organised for members of the INEC Press Corps in Abuja, assuring that next year’s elections will be free, fair, credible and devoid of manipulation.

Yakubu further disclosed that the commission’s system, especially the result viewing (IReV) portal was well-fortified against hackers.

It was in response to whether Nigerians should be worried over the recent disclosure of attempts by hackers to attack the cyber security system of the commission’s result viewing portal during the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections.

Represented by National Commissioner, Moddibo Alkali, the electoral umpire boss said that over 100 attempts were made on the commission’s system during the Ekiti and Osun governorship election, but none was successful.

“We did not say our instruments were hacked. But, there were over 100 attempts to hack our system. It did not work. At the back end, we are still improving. When you are working with an enemy, it is just like a battle.

“The way you prepare is the same way your enemy too would prepare. As they keep coming up with new ways to penetrate, we will be ahead of them twice in thinking and before they know it, we are done conducting the elections,” he assured.

While assuring that the Bimodal Voter Registration System (BVAS) has come to say, he said the system has eliminated voting by proxy, identity theft and all forms of electoral malpractices.

According to him, politicians should be more concerned about selling themselves to the electorate, rather than creating plans to manipulate the election, warning that; “the era of ballot box snatching andrigging is over.”

He also assured Nigerians and all candidates of a level playing ground during the polls, adding that “INEC will never be biased. We are going to provide credible, free and fair and all-inclusive elections.”

“Technology is evolving and improving, but with BVAS, we are almost covering everything. What you see now is technology all over. BVAS has eliminated voting by proxy, identity theft. It is one man, one vote. We expect you to educate the politicians that the days of rigging have gone, and the issue of incidence form is buried…”