Lagos — While listing conditions for deploying a robust e-voting machine for 2011 general elections, the independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) in partnership with the Nigerian Computer Society, (NCS) have expressed fears, saying that bureaucratic bottleneck may derail the adoption e-voting machine for the electoral process.

Meanwhile, the two bodies in a recent retreat organised to fashion out a workable strategies for a transparent electoral process in the country had already recommended in a communique after the event that attracted seasoned IT professionals that any e-voting machine that INEC might consider for deployment for the electoral process in Nigeria must have the following features;-

•Ability to capture at least 3_forms of confirmatory evidence for each vote cast

•Interface for real-time/wireless transmission of data

•Facility for accurate authentication of voter's information

•Must be fool-proof Tamper-proof and weather-proof to perform under any condition

•Provision for verifiable audit trail

•Provision that allows voters to confirm that their votes have been recorded as cast

•Voice prompt that could be customized in any Nigerian dialect

•Provision for automatic and periodic uploading of election results while voting is in progress

•The data encryption algorithm must be based on distributed encryption method

•Facility that allows the blind and visually impaired to be able to cast votes unassisted

•The equipment battery life must last for a minimum of ten hours

Speaking to IT journalists shortly after a joint retreat held recently in Delta State to work out modalities for a a successful 2011 general elections, the INEC ICT Director, Engr. Emmanuel Akem, noted with optimism that INEC would conduct a free and fair elections based on international best practice if the national assembly reviews the electoral law to allow the use of e-voting machine.

" E-voting machine is in the front burner. But we need legislative mandate to go ahead. If the law is amended on time to allow for the use of e-voting machine for the 2011 elections, INEC will come out with best machine in the world otherwise it will be of no use if the we are not given mandate on time. If the law is amended two years before the elections, it will be implemented. But it is amended before six months before the elections, then is of no use.

"In the last elections, the law was reviewed and we had to go back to the use ballot papers. If they give us a go ahead in good time, we will adopt a robust machine in the next elections. If we use technology in the election, results will come out on time" Akem,said.

He was optimistic that if e-voting process piloted under the administration of Dr Chris Nwannenna as NCS President is adopted, politicians will be helpless at certain level to rig elections. "We a machine that will be adoptable to our own environment. We need NCS partnership to achieve a workable e-voting system. In terms of local content, NCS is involved in the data base of the electoral process.

It is in so doing, everybody will be happy at the end of the day as the citizens will see that the elections are transparent" Akem who is very passionate in transparent electoral process told IT journalists.

For the NCS President, Prof Uwadia who has bee preaching for local content, Nigeria may not achieve the expect results in the electoral process unless e-voting system is adopted. "We do not have choice other than e-voting system for a transparent process in the 221st century knowledge economy. INEC has gone far in deploying IT in electoral system. We need all hands on deck to achieve this. Once the law is amended by the national assembly, INEC and NCS will do the rest of the job" Prof. Uwadia assured Nigerians.

According to him, NCS is fully convinced that many of the challenges facing INEC today can best be addressed through a well-thought-out coordinated application and deployment of Information Technology systems.

But after an extensive intellectual brainstorming for two days, the retreat in a communique resolved and identified the following problems as challenges associated with the current voting system:

• Mass thumb printing of ballot papers

• Ballot Stuffing

• Snatching of ballot boxes

• Impersonation of Voters

• Errors due to manual collation of results

• Multiple registration

And noted that these challenges could be surmounted with the adoption of electronic voting system.

2. The Retreat recognized that INEC has an existing Communication Backbone based on Satellite Communication technology. The network consists of a satellite Gateway (Control Center), located at the INEC headquarters and Terminals installed at remote locations (INEC state offices and all the Local Government Areas of the Federation).

The Retreat however noted that some of the terminals at the remote locations had been vandalized. In this regard the retreat recommends the replacement of the redundant/inactive terminals with portable / mobile terminals and the deployment of addition.al terminals during periods of elections.

3. The Retreat recognized that the cost of the space segment on the network has huge financial implications. The Retreat therefore recommends that INEC should subscribe to the size of the space segment needed for its operational purposes during non_election years while the requirement should be scaled up during election year to meet the demands for the election results collation and dissemination.

4. The Retreat recognized that INEC has existing systems to capture, transmit, collate, review and approve results at the INEC state offices and the National Headquarters Result Management Centre.

5. The Retreat recommends that INEC should explore the use of the GSM¬Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) and General Pack Radio Service (GPRS) technologies to complement the existing light weight encrypted secure file socket transmission for election result transmission and collation.

6. The Retreat recommends that when the systems for e_collation and e¬dissemination of election results are fully implemented, that the election results in Nigeria should under normal circumstances be published within the period of six hours after closing election polls in every part of Nigeria. |

7. The Retreat witnessed presentations of different electronic voting solutions and thereafter made it clear that its mandate was not to endorse any particular product but to come out with acceptable standard for electronic voting equipment that could be deployed for elections in Nigeria.

8. The Retreat identified the following challenges associated with electronic voting system:

a) Machine failures

b) Vote flipping

c) Possibility of inaccurate transmission of election results

d) Usability problems

The Retreat however noted that these challenges are surmountable with contemporary technologies. Furthermore the Retreat noted that electronic voting system offers the best available option to prevent election manipulation and to assure the integrity and sanctity of each vote that is cast.

The Retreat therefore recommends a system based on consensus protocol which will allow for three confirmatory evidences/ witnesses / channels for each vote cast.

9. The Retreat recognizes the need for integrity of the transmitted data and therefore recommends the adoption of distributed encryption technique for purposes of secured data transmission. The distributed encryption technique entails that the encrypted keys are held by more than one person.

10. The Retreat re_emphasizes the importance of a comprehensive and accurate registered voters data base and therefore recommends that this critical national asset must be well secured to provide the necessary platform for a reliable electoral system.

11. The Retreat identifies the need for INEC to partner with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Federal Road Safety Commission, Immigration Services, Pension Fund Administrators and other relevant government agencies to develop a comprehensive and harmonized National Database. This will allow any authorized stakeholder to have an access to information relevant to its needs and operations, from a single point of entry.

12. The Retreat observed that the level of skilled IT professionals in INEC needs to be enhanced through continuous training. There is also the need for adequate remuneration of INEC IT professionals in order to further motivate staff and reduce personnel turnover.

13. The Retreat notes that the Management and other personnel of INEC need requisite technology training to ensure smooth electoral process. This recommendation also applies to Polling Officers and Coordinators at all levels.

14. The Retreat recognizes the need for INEC to consciously and strategically embark on programs aimed at ensuring that the electorate and the generality of the public believe in INEC's systems, process and procedures. The retreat therefore recommends the following:

• Information to stake holders on issues and processes relating to election procedures on regular basis.

•Consultation with relevant professional bodies and agencies before, during and after electoral processes and activities.

15. The Retreat identified the fundamental challenge facing any electoral process as that of assuring that the votes are recorded as cast and tabulated accurately as expected.

16. The Retreat observed that INEC is yet to put in place a well structured voter's identification coding system. The Retreat therefore, recommends that unique Voters Identification Number be adopted to reflect voters' state, local government area, ward, poling units, and voters' serial number.

17. The Retreat reorganized the need for a sustainable NCSt INEC relationship as this will continually provide opportunity needed to make inputs towards technological enhancement of the National Electoral process.

18. Having recognized that electronic voting provides the best available option, the Retreat recommends the promotion of electronic voting through consensus building by involving all stakeholders _the Nigeria Computer Society, the Nigerian Bar Association, Political Parties, the electorates, the National Assembly, Security agencies, the Media, Civil Societies, IT solution providers, Auditors, Electoral Reform Committee and etc in sensitizing the Nigerian public on the need for the adoption of electronic Voting System in further elections.

19. The Retreat recommends that a follow_up retreat be organized in Abuja within the first quarter of 2009 among NCS, INEC, NIMC and the National Assembly.