…Says ballot remains best means of expression of people’s will***
A former Akwa -Ibom State INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Mike Igini, says that with the current electoral Act, power now rests squarely on the people, through the ballot box.
Igini made the observation while delivering a keynote address at the 2022 University of Benin, Lagos Branch, Alumni Association, Award of Excellence to deserving members.
The theme of the event was “2023 Election: Assessing How 2022 Act & INEC Innovations Empowered Nigerian Voters.”
According to him, political power is now vested on the Nigerian people through the ballot box, adding that the polling unit has now become the ‘center of the universe.’
He noted that the 2023 Election is very important in the life of every Nigerian since it afforded them the opportunity to make the choice of their leader for the next four years.
He expressed appreciation to the National Assembly and President Mohammadu Buhari for making the 2022 Electoral Act come to being.
“There is panic among some politicians since the Electoral Act has reposed power back to the people.
“That is my greatest joy today,’’ Igini said.
The former commissioner noted that the present Electoral Act suffered many setbacks before its final passage into law.
He said that under the new electoral reforms, a voter’s PVC would be verified and authenticated to get his/her biometric accreditation.
He added that this process rules out the challenge of multiple voting patterns, to prevent vote buying.
“No incident form again, it has gone forever. In the unlikely event that part of your fingers cannot be captured, there is still an option for facial accreditation
“This is the defining moment for the electoral process which has eliminated rigging.
“The beauty of this is that politicians who used to boast of wrong figures in a polling unit are no more under the current regime.
‘There is no provision for those who are no more, those that did not come to vote or those that have moved away from a particular location.
“No more inconclusive elections,” Igini said.
He said that INEC innovation has shown that the ballot is the best means of expression of the will of the people in a democracy.
Igini said that the procedures and the law have also shown that in a democracy, effective powers to govern must flow from credible elections.
“What INEC is doing now is online, designed to insulate the process from the pre-existing interest of those in power.
“Come 2023, there must be a total reset in the country.
“Results will be uploaded to the cloud.
“All aspirants must set up their collation room without waiting for INEC, but they can’t make a declaration.
“Before any collation officer must make any declaration, he/she must check from the INEC portal to confirm before such declarations,” Igini said.
He said that the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) has come to stay, adding that no court can stop its use in the coming elections.
He said that the 2022 Act and procedures was designed to address the historical challenges of elections in service delivery in our country which has now returned power to the Nigerian people.
Earlier, the chairman of the occasion, Mr. Obukoraro Ovadje, in his opening remarks, said that the Alumni Association’s Award of excellence has become an annual event.
Ovadje said that the award was given to members who distinguished themselves in their fields of endeavor.
“In a way, it is meant to appreciate their individual contributions to the society they work.
“This is the institution that molded us and gave us the opportunity to venture into the unknown.
“Currently, the branch is embarking on a hostel project that will help solve the accommodation challenge in the school,” Ovadje said
Names of the Awardees are Mr. Victor Onyenkpa, Mr. Henry Oroh, Mr. Gabriel Ogbechie, Dr. Gregg Cynthia, Engr. Kayode Akiode, Mrs. Rita Ojo, Mr. Wole Adeniyi, Mr. Wole Abu, Pharm Henry Edo, Mr. Mike Igini, Pharm Henry Ashimedua, Pharm Josephine Ehimen, Dr. Mrs. Orode Doherty, Mr. Austin Okwah and Pharm Mrs. Gloria Ukwuoma.
