• Says it’s in vogue worldwide
By EDISON Okereke
Traditional ruler of Ihim Autonomous Community in Isiala Mbano Local Government Area of Imo state, His Royal Majesty Eze Dr. Oliver Ohanweh (Gburugburu), has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the country to introduce electronic voting system.
The Eze who made the call at his Palace, on Saturday, March 9, 2019, white fielding questions from journalists who called on him during the Governorship/State Houses of Assembly elections in the state, posited that in addition to enabling the aged and the physically challenged to vote with ease in elections the electronic voting is also the practice worldwide now.
Commending the electoral body for the observed improvement in the elections, said, “I can say that INEC should also do something in the future elections as the country’s uninterrupted democracy has clocked twenty years.
“And we cannot continue with manual voting because it creates problems, especially for individuals who are handicapped and the elderly people,” adding that the electorate should be encouraged to perform their franchise.
“Therefore, I’m calling on the INEC to do whatever it can do to start electronic voting. The United States, the United Kingdom and other countries have been doing it. And Nigeria has the resources to do it. In fact Nigeria should be called the United States of Nigeria,” Ohanweh said.
While commending President Muhammadu Buhari in his reelection the Eze urged him to up the country’s technology, completing 2nd Niger Bridge, revamping the railways in the Southeast, aid the people’s economic activities in the Zone.
Eze Ohanweh noted that he was the first traditional ruler in the Southeast to endorse the reelection bid of Buhari to pave a way for a president of Igbo extraction in 2023, saying that but he was maligned in his efforts.
“I was the first traditional ruler in the Southeastern ‘Nigeria that re-endorsed
President Muhammadu Buhari’s second tenure in April last year on the platform of Southeast Traditional Rulers. And I gave been vindicated even though I was insulted intimidated, I was abused. People misunderstood me. I am not a politician.
“I did it for the Southeastners, telling Buhari to help improve what is due for us like completion of the Second Niger Bridge, giving us railways because Southeastners are known for economic pursuits. And the railways will help us in our day to day trading activities.
(Raising his voice) “Why I re-endorsed Buhari was for him to concede –to open the door for us for negotiation for 2023 for a president of Igbo extracting,” emphasizing that no Southeastner has occupied the seat in the country’s uninterrupted twenty years where of democracy.
“Our northern brothers have been occupying that presidential seat, our western brothers have also, the Southsouth but the Southeast has never.”
He said that the country cannot be complete without the Southeast.
Eze Ohanweh expressed confidence in President Buhari’s declaration while receiving the Certificate of Return that “everybody should be taken along his administration” via equity.
