Firm develops app to checkmate election rigging

A Kaduna based computer firm, Hephzibah Integrated Technologies Limited, has developed an application that will help in checkmate rigging and other irregularities during the 2019 general elections and beyond.

Managing Director/CEO of Hephzibah Integrated Technologies Ltd, Clement O. Obomighe, disclosed this when unveiling the application at a press briefing in Kaduna.

He said the application was developed to ensure that electioneering procedures as outlined by the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC is been observed diligently at every polling unit across the country.

Obomighe however, noted that the application cannot enforce the law, but can expose breach of the law.

According to him, the application will make statistics very easy and instant, as it works with any android or IOS phones for easy tracking and monitoring of elections.

Obomighe added that his company has been seeking active ways to develop APPs to support government policies, part of which includes the conduct of free and credible elections.

According to him, “the system was developed from what somebody muted to us by an observer group, which approached us. For some reasons they chickened out and we went through sponsoring it from the scratch.

“We noticed that in the past, capturing activities during cities was haphazard. This app will make it well managed, well captured according to INEC order.

“We had developed it according to 2015 order of activities. When the new INEC chairman came and changed it, we changed it again. We then went back to the drawing board to make it flexible.”

“Nobody knows if officials at any polling unity had omitted any activity. There is a process, if missed it should be captured by the election monitors, polling unit by polling unit.

“Even after the polling unit, at the collation centre there are procedures which must be followed. When procedures are not followed, it should be captured by the monitors. Not following procedures, gives room for rigging.

“We decided to present the APP to the public, Nigerians so they can see it. That’s why we are here today. We are not oblivious of the fact that we may be behind time ahead of the general elections, but are optimistic that it will help.

On why INEC hasn’t adopted the technology, he said: “the electoral commission was approached but they couldn’t adopt it, because they don’t know if we are sponsored by a political party. Our APP is not to spite INEC, we developed it to ensure credibility of the election process.”