In essence, INEC should learn from this. Get only well-intentioned people to serve as collation or returning officers for Nigeria. Not just professors and lecturers; we have
them in all professions. The second lesson is that INEC should never place any pressure on itself while announcing results. Before declaring a winner, exercise the necessary diligence mandated by Section 64 of the Electoral Act. By doing this, you may avoid asking mathematicians to count and compile the results for our judges.
First and foremost, it is imperative that those of us who work to shape public opinion and guide public conscience step up efforts to increase trust in the BVAS device. The facts of this case and the reasonings behind the Osun tribunal’s majority ruling can only point in one direction and lead to the following conclusion:
1. If you cast a ballot without being authorized, BVAS will reveal you.
2. If you cast too many votes, BVAS will reveal you.
3. If you cast your ballot without being authorized by BVAS, you only endanger the votes of others in your polling place.
The Osun tribunal’s ruling accurately summarizes the purpose of the BVAS machine and how useful it is in preventing overvoting. The tribunal evaluated all of the accreditation results from the disputed over 700 polling units, compared them to the results that were ultimately announced, and voided the results in cases where there were more votes cast than were accredited by the BVAS machine. It also deducted additional votes in those cases. That is the appropriate use of the judicial review power.
We should all take the time to carefully read Sections 62, 63, and 64 of the Electoral Act, especially Section 64, which gives the Returning Officer or the Collation Officer extensive authority to review the entire process, including to check for OVER-VOTING, and then to void results where s/he, the Returning Officer or Collation Officer, has found over-voting. This is a large responsibility that is comparable to a judicial review power, and I believe that this is why some attorneys have been outraged by those clauses. However, as we saw in Osun, a lack of or improper use of this discretion by INEC is always subject to court scrutiny, so I don’t share their fear.
… The results that were contested had significant issues, which INEC was able to see plainly. Instead of merely acknowledging these mistakes, it went on to conduct a review and then released what it referred to as SYNCHRONISED RESULTS. What is that now? working from the response to the query?
My concern is that while Governor Oyetola’s appeal was being submitted, INEC was aware that the results under challenge had significant flaws. Instead of merely acknowledging these mistakes, it went on to conduct a review and then released what it referred to as SYNCHRONISED RESULTS. What is that now? working from the response to the query?
In essence, INEC should learn from this. Get only well-intentioned people to serve as collation or returning officers for Nigeria. Not just professors and lecturers; we have them in all professions. The second lesson is that INEC should never place any pressure on itself while announcing results. Before declaring a winner, exercise the necessary diligence mandated by Section 64 of the Electoral Act. By doing this, you may avoid asking mathematicians to count and compile the results for our judges. When errors are made, especially during the collation process, INEC must never be reluctant to acknowledge them and work to fix them PRIOR TO THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE RESULT. When you evaluate yourself, the law is on your side.
In the end, let me reiterate by emphasizing that if you are actually interested in voting, make sure you follow the correct procedure:
1. Verify that the BVAS system ACCREDITS you.
2. If the BVAS machine did not approve you, resist the impulse, threat, entreaty, or inducement to cast a ballot.
If you vote despite not having the proper identification, you’ve wasted both your vote and the votes of other people who cast valid ballots in that polling place.
The only thing I can offer is free legal advice to everyone.
