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Digital Democracy: Electronic Transfer of Votes Makes for Better Communication with Voters
By Joel Popoola
There seems to be a lot of donkey business in the National Assembly this week.
Firstly a constitutional debate in the Senate was set aside so lawmakers could consider a bill regulating donkey breeding.
Then House of Representatives speaker Femi Gbajabiamila was forced to deny reports that Electoral Act Amendment Bill was being altered to outlaw the electronic transfer of election results.
The speaker’s statement came in response to a question by Representative Ugonna Ozurigbo who stated constituents have “inundated him” with calls opposing the move.
Press reports had already prompted more than twenty organisations to voice alarm that the decision would undermine the Independent National Election Commission’s efforts to improve the efficiency and credibility of Nigerian elections.
Commission Chair, Mahmood Yakubu, has already described the manual process of collating votes, calling it “expensive and cumbersome (and) sometimes chaotic” and highlighting how the current law forces officials to “write results manually and collate them manually right from the polling unit to the ward, from the ward to the local government, then, the state and from the state to the national level, in the case of the presidential election”.
Mr Yakubu continued: “A lot has been achieved in other climes with the simple application of technology. So, the encumbrances to the deployment of technology in the transmission of election results should be removed.”
Instead of this, some lawmakers at least seem to have attempted to establish more encumbrances- at the expense of our democracy.
As the leader of the campaign to improve democracy in Nigerian through the deployment of established and easy-to-use digital technologies I believe that if we are to restore the credibility of our electoral processes it is vital that we use more electronic technology – not less.
It will be clear to anyone that the current process detailed by Mr Yakubu is riddled with weak spots which make it far too easy for votes to be manipulated and falsified.
This is one of the many reasons why Nigerians – and international observers – do not trust our elections.
Only 39% of Nigerians are satisfied with the way democracy is working in our country, while 60% say they are not satisfied.
And as a result our voter turnout is the worst in West Africa, with only one in three Nigerians bothering to vote in the last presidential election, compared to almost 70% in Ghana.
Electronic transmission of election results is a simple safeguard that every vote cast was counted correctly, and counted for the correct candidate.
But we don’t just need safer communication between officials – we also need better communication between elected and electors.
We do not know for certain that there ever was an attempt to ban electronic communication of election results, or whether rumours and gossip simply got out of control.
The same newspaper that this week ran the headline “Senate Bows to Pressure to Restore Electronic Transfer of Results” also reported how Assembly leaders had “decried reports that the lawmakers were planning to remove electronic transmission of election results from the Electoral Act amendment bill”.
It was this confusion that led voters to “inundate” elected officials like Representative Ozurigbo with questions.
The Representative’s experience also proves how keen Nigerians are to engage with both politics and politicians
Sadly, credible channels of communication between voters and politicians are all-too-often missing in Nigeria.
In the era of fake news, it becomes harder and harder for voters to identify what it real and what is relevant on social media. They need clearer communication from their leaders.
At the digital democracy campaign I lead, we are attempting to address this issue by releasing free app called Rate Your Leader.
Rate Your Leader allows elected officials to interact directly with confirmed voters in the divisions they serve – and to do so in a way which makes offensive communication impossible and misleading communication unhelpful.
Politicians and people alike can use Rate Your Leader to engage person-to-person, understanding each other’s requirements and opinions. This way, leaders can find out rapidly what matters most to the people who elect them, and collaborate to address those issues.
Rate Your Leader also allows users to rate their politicians for their transparency and accessibility – signposting to their friends, neighbours and peers that this is a credible source of information.
In 2021 democracy is digital. Democracy means more – and needs more – than the administrative process of carrying it out.
Joel Popoola is a Nigerian tech entrepreneur, digital democracy campaigner and creator of the Rate Your Leader app.
The Presidency has dismissed allegations of lopsided appointments under President Bola Tinubu, describing the claim by Senator Ali Ndume as hypocritical and misleading.
In a reaction posted on Tuesday via his verified X handle, @aonanuga1956, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the Borno South senator is “allergic to facts and addicted to theatrics.”
Onanuga’s response comes after Ndume accused President Tinubu of favouring certain regions in his recent appointments, sparking debates across political circles.
“Senator Ali Ndume’s latest outburst on TV about so-called ‘lopsided appointments’ by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reeks of hypocrisy and selective perception.
“While the Borno senator grandstanded as a moral authority on equity, he forgot to tell his interviewer that two of his kinsmen featured in recent NNPC Limited top appointments”, Onanuga wrote.
He pointed out that the Chairman of NNPC Limited, who was appointed by President Tinubu, hails from Ndume’s own senatorial district in Borno State.
“If Tinubu and his surrogates’ choices are so ‘tribal,’ how did two of Ndume’s kinsmen clinch NNPC’s top roles?” he queried.
The presidential aide accused Ndume of repeatedly engaging in populist rhetoric without regard for verifiable facts.
“His habit of firing half-baked criticisms – only to be contradicted by facts – proves he’s more interested in headline-chasing, rabble rousing, and stoking divisive narratives than offering constructive criticism,” he added.
Onanuga reaffirmed the President’s commitment to inclusive governance, saying Tinubu’s appointments are based on merit, integrity, and national spread.
“President Tinubu is deeply committed to fostering a government that embraces all Nigerians, irrespective of their ethnic or regional affiliations,” he said.
He urged the senator to “elevate public discourse and avoid misinformation and baseless criticism,” warning that such behaviour was “a disservice to the nation and the behaviour least expected from a Nigerian Senator.”
The Federal Government through the Ministry of Police Affairs has formally received the West African Police Information System (WAPIS) platform and infrastructure from the European Union/INTERPOL towards enhancing security in the nation and West Africa region, according to a statement by the Deputy Director, Information & Public Relations Unit, Bolaji Kazeem, and made available to the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP).
The official handing over ceremony of WAPIS Programme was done by the Interpol Executive Director Police Services, and received by the Minister of Police Affairs, Senator Ibrahim Gaidam, at the ECOWAS Secretariat Asokoro, Abuja.
The Minister stated that today’s ceremony symbolizes Nigeria’s strong commitment and active role in regional security cooperation through the WAPIS Programme towards sustaining the WAPIS initiative, ensuring enhanced security for Nigeria and the West African Region.
Gaidam recalled that since the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between INTERPOL and the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the 16th of April 2019, Nigeria has greatly benefited from the implementation of the WAPIS Programme.
This collaboration has notably resulted in the renovation and operationalization of the Data Collection and Registration Centre (DACORE), inaugurated on the 26th of May 2021, strategically situated at the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters in Abuja. The Minister stressed.
“At the inception stage, we received an initial donation workstation, which significantly improved the technological capabilities. Recognizing the importance of interagency collaboration, we brought onboard key national law enforcement agencies, namely the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Nigerian Navy, Nigeria Immigration Service, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigeria Correctional Service, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Nigeria Customs Service, and the Nigeria Police Force as the coordinating agency,” he said.
He added that, “as the Chairman of the WAPIS National Committee (WANACO), it has been my responsibility and privilege to oversee the effective implementation of this Programme and we have worked relentlessly to foster improved coordination and cooperation among law enforcement agencies, ensuring effective data-driven law enforcement operations across Nigeria.”
Gaidam further revealed that the Ministry of Police Affairs, in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force, has proactively submitted a comprehensive budget proposal to President Bola Tinubu, and the proposal is currently receiving commendable attention from the Office of the President.
The Minister reinforced the commitment to ensure seamless and effective operation by personally overseeing the provision of stable and reliable internet connectivity at the DACORE, facilitating continuous and effective communication with remote locations.
He added that the Ministry recently organized a three-day WAPIS Workshop themed “Interagency Collaboration on Information Sharing among Law Enforcement Agencies in Nigeria.”
This vital workshop brought together key stakeholders from various law enforcement agencies, resulting in strategic deliberations that were encapsulated in a communiqué presented to the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
In his remarks, the European Union Ambassador to Nigeria, Ambassador Gautier Mignot pointed out that the Union played a pivotal role in modernizing the effectiveness of the security forces in the region adding that through the expenditure of 380 million Euros they were able to create centralized and secured system for police information at national and regional levels.
Earlier, the INTERPOL Executive Director, Police Services, Cyril Gout, appreciated the commitment of the ECOWAS and European Union for their commitment and resilience on the WAPIS project implementation.
He said that integration of several police Information systems represent a major stride that enable them to focus on transnational crimes, human trafficking and information sharing adding that there is the need for more investment on training and capacity building to maintain the effectiveness of the project.
By Eric Elezuo
Acting on the instruction of the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, the Nigerian Police Force has withdrawn the invitation letter to the 16th Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II while ordering the Force Intelligence Department to obtained the emir’s statement in Kano.
The directive, according to a statement by Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi on Sunday, was as a result of concerns raised by stakeholders regarding the invitation.
Below are the details…
IGP DIRECTS FID OPERATIVES TO OBTAIN ALHAJI SANUSI’S STATEMENT IN KANO
As NPF Withdraws Invitation Letter
The Nigeria Police Force has withdrawn its earlier invitation extended to Alhaji Aminu Sanusi in connection with the unfortunate incident that occurred in Kano State during the Sallah celebration on March 30, 2025. The invitation was initially issued to enable Alhaji Sanusi to provide his account of the events that led to the breakdown of law and order in the state.
However, following advice from respected stakeholders and in line with the Inspector-General of Police’s commitment to ensuring that policing actions are not politicized or misinterpreted, the IGP has directed that the invitation be withdrawn. Instead, operatives of the Force Intelligence Department (FID) have been mandated on the instructions of the IGP to proceed to Kano to obtain Alhaji Sanusi’s statement.
Prior to the Sallah Day celebration, credible intelligence at the disposal of the Police indicated that the two (2) disputed Emirs in Kano State -Alh Ado Bayero and Alh Lamido Sanusi were planning to hold separate Durbar Festivals. The Durbar Festival is a long held tradition which involves a recognized Emir riding on horses around the city in company of his people.
To forestall possible violence, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM, deployed the Coordinating DIG for the North West who also serves as the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Force Criminal Investigation Department, DIG Abubakar Sadiq, mni , to engage in dialogue with the two disputed Emirs in kano and the Kano State Government. It was mutually agreed that no Durbar Festival would be held to preserve peace and public safety and none of the disputed emirs will ride on horse on Sallah day.
Despite this agreement, Alhaji Aminu Sanusi who had attended the Eid Prayers in his car, decided to mount a horse in a procession after Eid Prayers on Sallah Day, accompanied by local vigilantes. This triggered a confrontation by youths in the community, leading to the tragic death of one Usman Sagiru, and leaving several others injured. A situation which the Force had earlier warned against and intended to avert by the emissaries sent earlier to both Alhaji Sanusi and Alhaji Ado Bayero
The Nigeria Police Force, under the leadership of the Inspector-General of Police, remains resolute in its commitment to conducting its criminal investigation duties with the highest level of professionalism including the investigation of this incident. All individuals found culpable will at the end be brought to justice. To this effect, some arrests have been made prompting invitation to Alhaji Sanusi. The Force also wishes to reiterate that its actions are guided solely by the principles of justice, neutrality, and professiona
