By Jude Opara
The 2023 Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has said that if larger countries like India could conduct elections and transmit results electronically, Nigeria has no excuse not to do the same.
In a statement posted on his verified X handle on Tuesday, Obi said India, the world’s largest democracy, with nearly one billion registered voters and more than 60 percent actively participating in elections, remains a model.
According to him, the country has over one million polling stations and thousands of political parties, and conducts elections using technology that enables electronic transmission of results within days.
According to him, Nigeria, with only one-seventh of India’s population, has about 93 million registered voters, which is less than 10 percent of India’s voter base.
He added that with fewer than 20 percent of the polling stations and only about 1 percent of the political parties compared to India, it is deeply troubling that Nigeria still struggles to conduct elections, even when it records voter turnout below 20%.
The former Anambra State governor lamented that Nigeria still remains unable to consistently deliver free, fair, and credible elections or transmit results promptly, especially when compared to countries with far larger numbers than ours.
“The difference is leadership. In India, political leaders, legislators and judiciary work tirelessly for the welfare of their people and the future of their children, to do the right thing for the betterment of society, even amidst challenges.
“In Nigeria, many political figures instead implement policies that impoverish the people and threaten the future of our children.
“If we are to transform Nigeria, we must demand leaders who put the people first, govern with integrity, and plan for a better tomorrow,” he wrote.
