Tinubu, ACN Demanded Electronic Voting to Save Democracy in 2013

By 𝔸bdulrazak Tomiwa

In 2013, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) urged the Federal Government to adopt electronic voting for the 2015 polls. The party argued this was the only way to “ensure the integrity of its elections and hand over the elections back to Nigerians instead of the judiciary.”

The ACN maintained that digitizing the process would lower costs and reduce the heavy presence of security agencies. They asserted that with technology, “the atmosphere of war usually associated with elections will disappear,” paving the way for a more stable and peaceful democratic transition.

The party described electronic voting as a vital tool against systemic cheating and electoral malpractice. They stated, “While electronic voting is not a magic wand, it is the surest way yet for Nigeria to join the league of countries that have wiped out electoral fraud, which is the worst form of corruption.”

A primary goal was to prevent judges from having the final say in political contests. The ACN noted it was “totally unacceptable and indeed an anomaly for a nation of 160 million people to hand over the determination of its elections to a few ‘wise’ men and women on the bench.”

Pointing to Ghana’s success, the party urged Nigeria to stop sitting back in “envy while the world hails our neighbour.” They called for the country to shed its “toga of electoral fraud and brigandage” by empowering the voter over the “vote thief.”

The 2013 statement concluded that failed elections had “brought corruption to the judiciary.” The ACN argued it was finally “time to free judges to do their duties and allow Nigerians to play more role in determining who governs them,” ensuring true participatory democracy.