2019: INEC introduces app to check vote buying, others, says every Nigerian can act as election observers

– The Independent National Electoral Commission has introduced an app that will check vote buying in the 2019 general elections

– With the app, every Nigerian can be election observers and report live from their polling units

– According to the commission, the app can be downloaded freely on its website and on Google Play Store

As the 2019 general elections draw nearer, an application has been introduced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that will make it possible for every Nigerian to be election observers and report live from their polling units.

Punch reports that the disclosure was made on Thursday, December 27, by INEC national commissioner and chairman, Board of the Electoral Institute, Mustapha Leeky, while declaring open a three-day workshop on electoral security training in Abuja.

TRACKNEWS.NG gathers that the application, which has geo-referencing features that can enable the electoral body’s officials to identify wherever challenges may arise, can be download for free on INEC website or Google Play Store.

According to Leeky, the app was developed to address the new challenge of vote buying which characterised the recent governorship elections in some states.

He said where challenges arise, security agencies would be alerted to take charge in any part of the country.

Leeky said: “We have deployed something that most of you media men are paying little regards to; and that is the fact, as at today, if you go to INEC website or Google Play Store, you can download an INEC i-reporter which is something that INEC has spent a lot of money in developing.

“It allows every Nigerian to be an observer and a reporter of events as it happens. This, you can download freely, and have it on your smart phones. So, you can take pictures, you can also take a short video and send it to us.

“It is geo-reference, so we know exactly where that issue is taking place and we can easily draw the attention of police or other security agencies to make sure that the matter is actually addressed.

“Our take on vote buying has been well articulated at various fora like this; we abhor it, we think it is uncalled for, you do not need to sell your vote and you do not need to buy votes. In INEC as an institution, we don’t buy votes and we don’t sell votes, we just count the votes.

“So we expect people to cast their votes freely, we have deployed a number of measures to ensure that vote buying does not interfere with our election.

“We have reconfigured the way our polling units and the ballot boxes are placed so that people cannot expose their votes, so that people can go and collect money afterwards.

“We have also banned the use of smart phones in the polling booth so that you don’t take a picture and show to anyone.”

TRACKNEWS.NG previously reported that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said that it would be introducing electronic and para-collation centres to track all election results in 2019.

The electoral body said the introduction of the electronic and para-collation centres would help reduce the cases of vote buying and rigging in the forthcoming elections.