Adeyanju urges INEC to learn from NBA election

Human rights lawyer and public affairs commentator, Deji Adeyanju, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to understudy the ongoing Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) election and adopt lessons from its electronic voting system.

Adeyanju, who participated in the NBA election, praised the Electoral Committee of the NBA (ECNBA) for conducting what he described as a seamless, secure and efficient voting process.

According to him, the entire process of registration, verification and voting took less than two minutes, demonstrating that electronic voting can work effectively in Nigeria when backed by credible systems and proper verification mechanisms.

He noted that the ECNBA successfully deployed a secure voting platform using lawyers’ unique Supreme Court numbers alongside One-Time Password (OTP) verification, a system he said guarantees transparency and credibility.

“The ECNBA has demonstrated that secure electronic voting is possible. Registration, verification and voting took me less than two minutes,” Adeyanju stated.

He urged INEC to closely monitor the NBA election process and draw valuable lessons from it, stressing that the success of the exercise further strengthens the argument for the adoption of electronic voting in Nigeria’s electoral system.

According to Adeyanju, the NBA election has shown that technology can be deployed to conduct elections efficiently, securely and transparently, contrary to concerns often raised about the feasibility of electronic voting in the country.

He added that with the right systems, safeguards and political will, electronic voting can enhance public confidence in elections and improve the overall credibility of Nigeria’s democratic process.

Adeyanju also expressed hope that the Chairman of INEC, who is a Professor of Law and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), would participate in the NBA election and witness firsthand the effectiveness of the electronic voting process.

The lawyer’s remarks come amid ongoing debates over electoral reforms and the use of technology to strengthen the integrity of elections in Nigeria.