The Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) has called on president Muhammadu Buhari to send an executive bill on electronic voting to the incoming 9th National Assembly for consideration and passage.
Reacting to the outcome of the 2019 general elections on Thursday in Abuja, National President of the union, Comrade Chris Isiguzo noted that e -voting would advance the course of Nigerian democracy as well as address some of the lapses in the just concluded elections.
Isiguzo who disclosed that the union would release the full report of the 2019 elections after the supplementary elections in six states expressed concern over the new trend of inconclusive elections by the electoral body arguing that e-voting was key to the success of democratic process in the country.
He described the wind of inconclusive elections across the states as unhealthy for the country’s democracy, urging INEC to arrest the ugly trend.
“We are calling on the president to send an executive bill on e- voting, let us embrace electronic voting system, it will place us at par with the developing world, I just hope that we will have electronic voting when immediately the 9th National Assembly is inaugurated, I think the National Assembly should take care of e- voting”
While commending the security agencies for their professional discharge of duties during the election, Isiguzo said no journalist was harassed or brutalized during the exercise.
He attributed that to the training of both the security men and journalists on election coverage.
On the high number of political parties in the country, he called on the National Assembly to amend the electoral act with a view to pruning down the number of political parties in the country. “ Any political party that did not secure legislative seat should be proscribed,” Isiguzo said.
Isiguzo further disclosed that the journalists insurance scheme which is packaged to cater for the welfare of Nigerian journalists will be reintroduced and sustained.
