AFTER so much turbulence engineered by the familiar but controversial unions, which had put the Lagos State University (LASU) in reverse gear over the past several months, a glimmer of hope suddenly appeared on the horizon, last week, from the most unlikely source.
Word came from the University authority, at the weekend, that something unusual that would set LASU apart was going to happen last Monday. Students, the course hinted, were in the course of electing their president and other principal officers, using an entirely new method.
With many students’ union elections leading to the breakdown of order in many universities in the past, why should anyone expect something different from LASU?
Interestingly however, what unfolded last Monday is, indeed, changing the equation about LASU’s reputation. It turned out that two students of the university invented an electronic voting system, found to be fast, efficient and foolproof. The students’ union elections thus provided a perfect platform for the university authority, which had bought the idea, to test its efficacy.
Briefing journalists on the dynamics of the initiative, the institution’s Head, Department of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Prof Olatunde Oni, explained that Jubril Issa, from Kogi state and Kolawole Majeed Abiodun, 28, a Lagos indigene, both final year Electronic and Computer Engineering students, developed a software for online voting, which the University management found attractive.
He said: “The ICT department saw that it was a good innovation. We made some suggestion and the project was modified into what we have today.
“The application makes use of biometric features to curb multiple voting. The voting application has also been developed online and all the other LASU campuses in Epe, Ikeja and Surulere have been connected, so students (on those respective campuses) are voting (last Monday) in their various campuses, while the Central Server, at the main campus (in Ojo) is collating the results online. The winners will emerge a few minutes after the voting. What we have deployed can also be used for national elections, because it has zero tolerance for manipulation.”
Meanwhile, Issa, the project’s inventor, who will be 22 in June, is already looking forward to when INEC would have a look at his invention and adopt it. He told The Guardian that Majeed assisted him as they both worked on their school project, which resulted in a substantial improvement on what he had initially invented.
Explaining the background, Issa said: “It started in my fourth year, when I was made chairman of the electoral commission for the Faculty of Engineering’s election. I wanted to do something different, so I developed the software and used it for the faculty’s election and it worked! Students, lecturers, everybody liked it and suggested that we do something bigger for the school, not just the faculty anymore. I later adopted as my project with Majeed and this is what we came up with.”
Issa said he touched a computer for the first time while in primary school, but only played on it at that time. Later, while attending Anwaru Islam Model College, Agege, he had more exposure to computers, but did not consider studying computer engineering in the university.
“They used to call me a doctor right from childhood, and I wanted to study Medicine. But I did not meet up with the cut-off mark. But today, I’m very happy.”
Majeed, a former student of Falomo High School, Ikoyi, Lagos said: “Actually I had a different project which I presented to my supervisor but he cancelled it. So, we decided to go back to the e-voting software and do something massive. That was how I assisted him (Issa) on the project.”
According to him, the software “offers people the opportunity to make their choices. It will be a herculean task for anybody to manipulate it. But just like every project, there is still room for improvement.
Issa added: “The software has a tracking machine, where every activity carried out, including the facilitators that handle the exercise, can be recalled.”
Meanwhile, voting was conducted peacefully in all the six Faculties in Ojo campus. The Guardian observed at the Faculty of Law that both the accreditation of voters/students and voting proper took place in a matter of minutes. Students were enthusiastic about the new voting system and there was orderliness at the centre.
The electoral officer and also LASU student, Olalekan Segun Emmanuel, said everything went on smoothly, except for a minor server error caused by electricity fluctuations. He said the institution “provided generators for all the voting centres and we are expected to capture everyone within five-hours.”
On how the system works, a 200 level ICT student, Olawale Bolaji, whose duty was to guide and direct voters during the exercise said: “After accreditation, which is done with the student’s matriculation number, a password called a token, is automatically generated. Each accredited student is expected to log in with the token, which allows that student to vote only once, using his or her phone number. Then a platform, like a ballot paper will appear, from which the student can click on the candidate of his or her choice. Then the student can go to the next platform, until he or she has completed the exercise. A page will then appear, showing all the people the student voted for. A Short Message Service (SMS) alert is then sent to the voter’s phone, confirming that he or she has voted.
A security officer, Mr. Bello Joshua, described the atmosphere as peaceful and affirmed that the students complied with the guidelines. “This voting system will be good for all the institutions in the country, including national, state and local government elections because there is no form of manipulation.”
However, The Guardian observed that electoral officers and facilitators faced an initial challenge at the Faculties of Arts and Management Sciences with server connectivity and fingerprint capturing, which were eventually resolved. But at the Faculty of Education and Social Sciences, voting was successful.
At the location where the ‘Central Server’ was domiciled, all the agents, including the project originators, observed the voting exercise across all the centres with keen interest.
The Dean of Student Affairs, Prof. Kabiru Olusegun Akinyemi, who was obviously overwhelmed by the project remarked: “When the students proposed e-voting, the management saw it as a good idea and supported the project with over a million naira, with which they were able to overcome the problems initially identified with the software. It is, indeed, a good project loved and accepted by the LASU community”.
A student, Sao Daniel, said: “It is a wonderful exercise. This is the first time we are using this kind of system. With this, we are sure our vote will count. I recommend this system for general elections in 2015.”
Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, who also witnessed the exercise, called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to, as a matter of urgency, adopt the new invention by LASU students.
He noted that if students could develop such a software that worked successfully as witnessed by many last Monday, including LASU’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. John Oladapo Obafunwa, “then it means that with right leadership and good hands, Nigeria will get there. INEC should not bother about hiring foreigners; they should adopt this project, invest massively in it, correct any imperfection associated with it and then fine-tune it for 2015.”
“If students can do this and we as government at all levels cannot learn from it, then shame on us. This is an institution that was noted for negative things in the past and today, its students are making history for the country. I believe (Prof. Attahiru) Jega can make good use of this opportunity.”
Few minutes after the voting exercise ended, Nurudeen Temilola Nurudeen beat four other contestants to emerge as the new Students’ Union President with 558 votes (see box).
Results of Lagos State University Students’ Union’s (LASUSU) elections, held on Monday, January 20, 2014, as released by the LASUSU Independent Electoral Committee
PRESIDENT
1. Nurudeen Temilola Nurudeen (aka Optimist) – 558 votes (Winner)
2. Lawal Adedayo (aka Daddy Fresh) – 516 votes
3. Agbomeji Olatunji (aka AIT) – 291 votes
4. Alakija Olakunle (aka Alakija) – 100 votes
5. Ojetayo Okikiola (aka Otalenu) 72 votes.
WELFARE DIRECTOR
1. Adetoro Adetunji – 711 votes (Winner)
2. Elewuro Oladeindde – 656 votes
3. Jokomba Olusanya – 179 votes
Candidates for all other posts were returned unopposed.
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