Former President Goodluck Jonathan has emphasized that automating the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IREV) would enhance trust in Nigeria’s electoral process by eliminating human interference.
Speaking at the YIAGA Africa Reflection Conference on Democratic Elections in West Africa in Abuja on Tuesday, Jonathan stated that the controversy surrounding the 2023 presidential election could have been avoided if the technology had been fully automated.
“The issue of controversy about BVAS and IREV, for example—if BVAS captures data, that data should be automatically uploaded to the IREV. It should not depend on an interface by a human factor who will not come and tell us about glitches,” he said.
According to Jonathan, reliance on human intervention in transmitting election results creates room for manipulation, undermining confidence in the process.
“If it is so automated that no human factor will stop it, then of course, it will be seamless. But if I am to direct the BVAS before the BVAS is supposed to do the work that has been automated, then I can do what I think suits my interest,” the former President added. While acknowledging that technology alone has not resolved all electoral challenges, he stressed that it remains crucial for improving Nigeria’s elections.
