The Senate has confirmed all the INEC appointments sent by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Those confirmed are Prof. Mahmood Yakubu (INEC Chairman) Amina Zakari (Jigawa) Dr. Antonla Okoosi (Kogi), Baba Arfo (Borno), Dr. Mohammed Mustafa (Edo), Soyebi Solomon (Ogun).
First to appear before the Senate was Mr Solomon who advocated for electronic voting as a means of eliminating errors and overcoming logistics bottlenecks.
He expressed the view that the use of card readers must be reviewed for better future use, adding that INEC should train and re-train staff on the use of new technologies introduced by the commission.
He also noted that politicians must adhere strictly to stipulated rules.
On the other hand Dr. Mustafa insisted that the role of technology is irreversible in the conduct of elections.
While Amina Zakari said that INEC needs to be more transparent in its dealings with members of the public, Mr. Arfo believes the role of INEC is key in the conduct of primary elections.
The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu said that there is need to consolidate on the successes of the 2015 elections.
“There are challenges with the use of the card readers but it is the way to go. Jega has done a marvelous job and I will consolidate on his achievements. My long term goal is to conduct elections where Nigerians will vote seamlessly.” (Channels TV)
•Photo shows INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
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