The Hope Democratic Party, HDP, has urged an Abuja Federal High Court to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to adopt electronic voting system in the 2019 general election.
Seeking an order of mandamus, the party also prayed the National Assembly to enact laws that will prohibit politically motivated violence and deaths during elections in the country.
The party, through its lawyer, Iji Emmanuel, argued that unless the nation’s electoral umpire is compelled to adopt the e-voting system, human errors in voting, vote collation, counting, and vote stealing, would continue to characterize Nigeria’s elections.
In the suit before the court, HDP urged the court to prohibit INEC from planning or conducting any election until it has fully adopted the electronic voting system.
HDP in a 26 paragraph affidavit in support of the originating summon, said, “The recurrent politically motivated deaths in the land over electoral frauds and malpractices and the ‘win at all cost’ syndrome by political actors without any reprimand or sanctions of any kind by the INEC and AGF in our political climate and background possess danger and stunts National Development.
“The electronic voting system as already passed into law in the 2015 Amended Electoral laws require to be implemented to benefit all Nigeria in line with International Best Electoral practices. “That the laws in the land have been grossly violated without the appropriate intervention by bodies changed with such duties including the defendants in this case to the detriment of the Plaintiff.
“That the Justice of this case require a due interpretation and construction of the sections of the relevant statues and laws to protect, and enforce the due observation and compliance to the letters of the laws and restore the citizenry rights to good governance and rule of law.
“That unless orders are made and granted as sought in this suit, it is unlikely the plaintiff and citizens of Nigeria will get any full benefits of the NASS and INEC duties and activities as demanded and required of them by law.
“That the defendants are not prejudiced nor suffered in any form in the interpretation and construction or grant of this application which seeks an ordered and disciplined society and polity to uphold and respect the laws of the land and make necessary laws for good governance and conduct of political affairs in Nigeria.”
Similarly, the Senate in an electronic voting yesterday, approved the nomination of Justice Ejembi Eko and Justice Amina Augie as Supreme Court justices.
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