Raila Calls For Return To Manual Voting In Visit To Nigeria

Azimio la Umoja leader Raila Odinga has advocated for the return of manual voting during future general elections.

Speaking during the 2022 leadership conference in Abuja, Nigeria on Tuesday, January 31, Raila warned African countries against using technology in conducting general elections.

He lamented that some individuals have the tendency of taking advantage of technology to rig elections to the point of satisfying their preferred candidates.

Raila Odinga together with ODM Communication director Etale and other dignitaries attending the annual leadership conference awards 2023 in Abuja, Nigeria on January 31, 2023. /TWITTER.MADOKA KIBET

The ODM leader further called for electoral reforms to make the voting process more accessible and reliable by enhancing protection against mistakes regarding irregularity, confusion and fraud.

“African countries must rethink the use of technology in elections. Some people have taken advantage of technology to subvert the will of the people,” Raila stated.

He also urged African countries to put in place sanctions and have Presidents who come into power through a rigged election removed from office.

“It should be clear that whoever makes a move to ascend to power by means other than incredible and constitutional elections not only be condemned but subjected to sanctions and removal from such office,” Raila added.

Raila left Kenya for Nigeria on Monday, January 30 and was accompanied by Azimio One Kenya spokesperson Prof Makau Mutua as well as other officials from the Kenya High Commission in Nigeria. It is the second trip he has made in a matter of weeks following his week-long trip to South Africa.

During the Kamukunji rally on Monday, January 23, Raila demanded that any attempts to reconstitute the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) single-handedly by President William Ruto cease forthwith so that Kenyans themselves can reconstitute the body after the firm and fair deliberations.

"We demand that the entire infrastructure and the records of the 2022 elections at the IEBC be made public and audited by an impartial body. A forensic audit of the IEBC results and services is non-negotiable," he addressed amidst claims that he was rigged out of the August 9, 2022, general elections.

Prior to the polls, Raila threatened to pull out of the polls if the IEBC failed to use the manual and electronic voter registration, claiming that he received information from reliable sources that the commission’s former chairman, Wafula Chebukati, and his team were linked to a plot to print excess ballot papers in a neighbouring country and sneak them into Kenya on election day.

However, he later said that he cannot and would not boycott the elections, assuring supporters that he would win the elections.

This is after President Ruto at the time urged him to decide whether he wants to participate in the polls or not.