The Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has strongly criticized comments attributed to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Joash Amupitan, who expressed doubts about the complete reliability of technology in ensuring credible elections.
The remarks were reportedly made by Prof Amupitan on Thursday at the Annual National Stakeholders’ Forum on Elections, organized by the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room in Abuja. The forum, themed “Securing Nigeria’s Democracy: Building Consensus for Credible Elections and Accountable Governance,” focused on electoral reforms and democratic consolidation in Nigeria.
According to media reports, Prof Amupitan stated that technological innovations could not be fully relied upon to guarantee free, fair, and credible elections in the country.
In response, the Osun PDP, through its state chairman Sunday Bisi, described the comments as careless, unguarded, and unfortunate. The party warned that such statements could undermine public confidence in the electoral process and create fear among Nigerians and the international community ahead of upcoming elections.
Bisi urged the INEC chairman to allay the fears caused by his statement and to issue an apology, emphasizing that Nigerians deserve elections free from manipulation and irregularities.
He stressed that electoral credibility is central to democracy and noted that the Electoral Act 2022 provides a legal framework for the deployment of technology, including the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
The PDP chairman highlighted that technology remains critical to addressing challenges that have plagued previous elections in Nigeria.
“As the body responsible for conducting and supervising elections in Nigeria, the Osun State Chapter of PDP believes that Prof Amupitan’s statement was not only careless and unguarded but also unfortunate at this time,” Bisi said.
He added, “Such remarks are tantamount to preparing the ground for rigging in the coming elections, which will not be accepted by Nigerians and democracy lovers worldwide.”
Bisi further stated, “Telling Nigerians and the world that technology is unreliable in the upcoming elections is like preparing people’s minds for what to expect before the elections.”
He called on the INEC chairman to retract the comments and ensure that all technological devices used in elections function effectively.
“Technology is and should be regarded as the best way to ensure credible elections,” he concluded.
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