Former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, has voiced his strong support for the adoption of electronic voting and real-time result transmission as the key to a more credible and transparent electoral process in Nigeria. During an interactive session in Owerri, Imo State, el-Rufai highlighted these technological solutions as the most effective way to combat electoral malpractices, restore public trust, and bolster the country’s democratic stability. He emphasized that building public trust is essential to address the concerning trend of declining voter turnout in recent elections.
El-Rufai expressed deep concern over the low participation rate in national polls, noting that voter turnout in presidential elections has been on a downward trajectory since 2007. He pointed out that less than 30% of registered voters participated in the 2023 presidential election, a significant drop from over 60% in 2003. According to the former governor, this growing disengagement of the electorate from the political process poses a serious threat to the nation’s democratic foundation, potentially leading to an “unwelcome fragility.”
The former governor noted that the integrity of every presidential election result from 1999 to date has been contested in court, with the exception of the 2015 election, when then-President Goodluck Jonathan commendably accepted the outcome. This consistent pattern of legal challenges underscores the urgent need for systemic reforms that can restore public confidence and legitimize election results. El-Rufai’s advocacy for electronic voting is rooted in the belief that a more transparent and verifiable process is the only way to break this cycle of distrust and litigation.
Drawing from his experience in Kaduna State, where electronic voting was successfully used for local government elections, El-Rufai presented a practical case for its nationwide adoption. He argued that the Kaduna experiment proved that a technology-based system can lead to free and fair elections, where even opposition candidates can secure victory. This firsthand success provides a compelling argument against the common skepticism surrounding the implementation of electronic voting in Nigeria.
