The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation and lawmaker representing the Ogun West Senatorial District, Olamilekan Adeola, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to consider other methods of voting during electoral processes.
The lawmaker made this known on Saturday, November 16, after casting his vote at the U.A.M.C. Polling Unit in Pahayi, Ilaro, during the local government elections in Ogun State.
Adeola expressed strong believe in the use of other means of identification such as the National Identity Numbers and Driver’s Licenses for voting.
According to him, the move will help tackle the issue of disenfranchisement during elections.
He, however acknowledged that implementing this alternative means of verification will not be an easy task as it is not recognized by the law adding that implementing them will probably prompt the amendment of the electoral act.
Adeola said, “I want to strongly believe that if we mitigate against this idea of disenfranchising people from casting their vote for one reason or the other, I will believe that it is not a bad idea to use other means of identification.
“The only thing is that there should be a lot of processes into this that will make it more legal, and that can show to the whole world the level of using it transparent. As far as that process is concerned, this will convince Nigerians that going forward into the future, aside from the PVCs, we can also use other legal means of identification, like a passport or the NIN card.
“But as I have said, what is recognised by law as we speak today is the PVC. So, if we are going to amend, the Electoral Act has to accommodate all of these that have not yet been done.”
Sharing his view as a lawmaker, Adeola added: “So for now, we stand for INEC to introduce this; it is a way not to disenfranchise the people from exercising their fundamental human rights. It is the right step in the right direction, to an extent.
“But for me, from the point of view of a lawmaker, I know that the right thing has to be done for that process to be recognised by law.”
Speaking on the election, Adeola hailed INEC for its peaceful conduct saying, “It is a very peaceful election process, from what we have been able to gather from everywhere across the length and breadth of my senatorial district and, by extension, across the state. And as for the turnout, I can say from where I voted here, I am impressed with the level of the turnout.
He concluded saying, “It is expected that the process has just commenced, and in the next couple of hours, I believe that everybody will be fully aware that the voting process has commenced, and they need to come out and cast their vote for the candidate of their choice.
“And I must commend particularly the OGSIEC for putting together a very successful process that is made easy,’ he noted.
Adeola’s call for alternative identification methods follows the ending report of voters disenfranchisement in the election held across the state on Saturday.