The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC says it plans to deploy e-collation and transmission of the Ekiti and Osun states governorship elections later in the year, and for the 2019 general polls.

 

Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, INEC chairman made the revelation at a working visit to the Executive Vice-Chairman of the Nigerian Communications commission NCC Prof. Umar Dambatta in Abuja.

 

Prof Yakubu said the commission was also planning to transmit scanned copies of result sheets; as such it needed the cooperation of the NCC to ascertain areas covered by 3Gand 4G networks and by which operator(s) across the country.

 

“The objective is also to discuss data security in the course of transmission of results in order to further safeguard the security of the process.

 

“The meeting is also imperative to discuss the provision, registration and exclusive use of SIM Cards with special numbers for use in its Smart Card Readers.

 

“These numbers should be registered in the name of INEC instead of the current practices of using cards sourced from the open market registered in the personal names of our officials.

 

“This will help in the management of database and data set of the allocated numbers.

 

“Doing so will also enable the encryption of information thereby providing additional security in the course of transmitting both data and images,’’ he said.

 

The INEC boss said towards the 2019 general elections, it would like the operators, in collaboration with INEC, to send bulk SMS on imperative of peaceful elections and the collection of Permanent Voter Cards by registered voters.