Don attributes UNN-SUG free, fair election to biometric voting
Don attributes UNN-SUG free, fair election to biometric voting
Biometric
By Hilary Akalugwu
Nsukka (Enugu State), Feb. 25, 2020 (NAN) Prof. Edwin Omeje, the Dean,
Department of Students Affairs, University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), has recommended the use of
biometric voting for all forms of elections in the country, to ensure fair and free polls.
He spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Nsukka, while commenting on the Students’ Union Government (SUG) election,that used biometric voting system.
According to him, all the candidates accepted the election results because of the transparency.
Omeje said that on the election day,
accreditation and voting were done with computers manned by staff from ICT centre of the university at Nnamdi Azikiwe Library.
” Students who voted, signed -in with their registration number, thumb print, vote online and signed out after voting.
” While some agents of candidates contesting for the election watched the voting process at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Library, other agents of the candidates were at the ICT centre office where the election situation room is situated, watching in a big TV screen as votes for every candidate trickle in,” he said.
According to the dean, immediately the biometric voting was over, the printer in the situation room printed the results of the election with the scores of every candidate and agents of candidates signed the results.
“The agents signed willingly because they knew the election was credible, free, fair and transparent.
“Candidates who lost, congratulated and embraced those who won because they knew the exercise was credible and transparent, “he said
The dean commended Prof. Charles Igwe, the Vice-Chancellor of the UNN for approving the use of biometric voting system that laid to rest numerous challenges associated with manual voting during previous SUG elections.
“I commend the present administration in UNN as this is the first time biometric voting system was used in any tertiary institution in the country.
“UNN as the first indigenous university, will continue to set the pace that others will follow,’’he said.
In the election, Stephen Ani, emerged SUG President, Florence Aroh, Vice-President and Malachi Nwachukwu, General Secretary.
Ani, of Department of Political Science, who spoke, said he would be happy if all tertiary institutions in the country would adopt biometric voting in SUG elections so that election would be credible, free, fair and violence-free.
“I recommend this biometric voting to all tertiary institutions as well as Nigeria for the 2023 general elections,”he said.
Azubuike Onyeka of Department of Computer Education, an SUG presidential candidate who lost in the Feb. 13 SUG election, commended the biometric voting system which he described as very credible and transparent.
“I contested in that election and lost, I am not complaining or rejecting the election result because I knew the voting process was transparent, free and fair,” he said (NAN)
HOA/CCN/OU
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Edited by Chinyere Nwachukwu/Obike Ukoh
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