Fellow Nigerian, an added way to checkmate our corrupted electoral system is by scrutinising voters’ database. Card readers may be a good way of verifying the authenticity of a voter, but it will not recognise malpractices such as ghost, underage or foreign voters.
To counter these deficiencies of card readers, the RevNig Movement (RevNig) is urging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to grant access to the Electronic Electoral Databases to designated groups- Groups that will continually scrutinise the database, examining who is on the list and the number of voters in parts of the country.
By making the voters’ list available, INEC will enable watchdog organisations like RevNig as well as investigative journalists and the civil society to detect any irregularities such as the inflation of votes as well as underage, foreign and ghost voters within a community. That is possible because members of a community know themselves–age groups, schoolmates and the likes know each other; therefore, impersonators who claim to come from a particular community will be detected quickly.
Furthermore, the Electronic Electoral Databases will serve in conducting opinion polls such that candidates, as well as citizens, will know the leading candidates before election day. If a candidate who was not leading in opinion poll becomes the winner of an election, then the unexpected result will call for concern and further scrutiny. As a consequence, these opinion polls will reduce tension as candidates and electorates will have a premonition of the outcome of results beforehand.
This knowledge will reduce incidences of violence. Then It will be difficult for a candidate, who is far behind in opinion polls, and who eventually loses an election, to fuel ethnic, religious or other discords. That will turn “bad losers” into “gallant losers”, waiting to fight another day.
Supporters, volunteers and representatives of RevNig in each voting unit will be conducting opinion polls within their locality based on the voters’ list provided by INEC. For those online, surveys will be carried out on this website.
We urge Nigerians to join the RevNig Movement so we can sanitise our electoral processes and elect credible leaders that will serve us. Remember,
“Democracy is cumbersome, slow and inefficient, but in due time, the voice of the people will be heard and their latent wisdom will prevail.”–Thomas Jefferson.
Read on.
Determining and Finding Credible Nigerians to Lead
Voters’ Checklist: Screening and Choosing Nigerian Leaders
Virtues of a Revolutionary Leader: Leaders Nigeria Need Today
