Posted by Yiaga Africa has petitioned the National Assembly to change the Electoral Act of 2022 so that public servants can cast their ballots early.
This is in response to their experience in Liberia where they went to observe elections.
They demanded that the Congress mandate the use of electronic reporting of election outcomes.
The body also recommended electronic transmission of results sheets utilized at various stages of results collation and the uploading of results from polling locations.
In addition, Yiaga Africa suggested that the law be changed so that photographs of all candidates running in elections are required.
At a press conference titled “Liberia 2023 Elections and Lessons for Nigeria,” where Yiaga Africa unveiled its report on its Election Study and Observation Mission (ESOM) to the Liberia 2023 General Elections, executive director of Yiaga Africa Samson Itodo said that political stakeholders should show their dedication to democracy and nation-building by upholding national values like patriotism, integrity, and public interest in electoral politics.
Ballots in Nigerian elections should be redesigned by INEC to incorporate images and candidate names in order to increase voter confidence in their choices and decrease the number of votes that are thrown out.
Greater transparency in election management is called for, and INEC and state electoral commissions should pledge to do so through the proactive release of election data and the uniform implementation of election rules and procedures.
Early voting should be made available to qualified voters serving in critical election roles, such as security officers, INEC workers, election observers, journalists, etc., by amending the electoral legislative framework (Electoral Act and INEC Guidelines).
To clarify the role of technology in the results management value chain and the process of results collation and transmission, the National Assembly should review the Electoral Act.
Itodo argued that the National Assembly should require the upload of polling unit-level results and results sheets utilized at different levels of results collation, as well as other forms of electronic transfer of results.