By Enyinna Omoke, Abakaliki
David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences (DUFUHS), Uburu, Ebonyi State, has recorded another milestone in institutional governance with the successful conduct of its Students’ Union Government (SUG) election through a Computer-Based Test (CBT) voting platform, a development the university described as a first-of-its-kind innovation in Nigeria’s university system.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Jesse Uneke, while presenting certificate of return to the winners, said the digital voting process was designed to guarantee transparency, credibility and efficiency while eliminating irregularities associated with conventional elections.
According to him, the university developed a secure voting platform integrated into its examination portal, enabling only duly registered students to participate in the exercise.
“When I told them that I was going to conduct a kind of election that had never been done in any university, they thought I was joking. We developed a system whereby students used the examination portal to vote.
“All candidates were screened before the election. During voting, each student entered the CBT hall, logged into the portal using his or her registration details, and accessed the ballot containing the list of contestants. The system automatically logged out any voter who failed to cast a vote within ten minutes,” he explained.
Prof. Uneke noted that the election was concluded within a few hours, while votes were recorded and displayed electronically in real time before the final results were announced immediately after voting ended.
“I am excited because this election was exceptional. This university is setting the pace,” he said before presenting Certificates of Return to the victorious candidates. He added that the inauguration of the newly elected SUG executives would take place next week.
The Special Assistant to the Ebonyi State Governor on Students’ Affairs, Mr. Joshua Nwafor, commended the university management for introducing what he described as an unprecedented electoral process.
“I want to specially commend the Vice-Chancellor and the principal officers of DUFUHS for conducting a transparent, free and credible SUG election. I have never seen this kind of electoral process in any university. This is the first of its kind in Nigeria,” he stated.
Students who spoke after the exercise expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the election, describing it as peaceful, transparent and hitch-free.
The newly elected SUG President, Ujebe Ebere Lacristo, described the exercise as a landmark achievement for the institution.
“The election was peaceful, free and completely digital. It has not been done in Nigeria before. We have achieved a great feat that other institutions can learn from. Our administration will be built on transparency, accountability and purposeful action aimed at strengthening the image of the university and projecting it globally,” he said.
Other students, including Nwobasi Patrick and Ani Chinonso, applauded the university for ensuring a seamless process, noting that students turned out massively to vote while election results were displayed live on television screens for everyone to monitor.
DUFUHS records first digital SUG election in Nigeria
