Education

Innovation: Ibadan Poly Introduces e-Voting System for SUG Elections

Published

7 years ago

November 18, 2019

Management of The Polytechnic Ibadan has keyed into the fourth industrial revolution driven by digital technology by introducing an Electronic Voting System for the conduct of the just concluded Students Union (SUG) Government elections held on Wednesday, 13th November, 2019 at its Sango campus.

The elections, which was first of its kind in the institution commenced around 11am and ended at 6pm. An HND 1 student of public administration, Fadare Blessing emerged as the President with 1226 votes, while his closest rival, Salako Oluwatosin, polled 1149 votes in an election which many adjudged as peaceful, transparent, free and fair. Also, Adekola Yussuf emerged as the General Secretary with 903 votes to defeat Fasesan Toheeb who scored 755 votes.

At the collation centre, housing the agents, electoral committee amid tight security, also displayed real time results through projected media .

Speaking on the new innovation, the Deputy Registrar, Student Affairs, Mrs Ayoade Abosede Olu informed that the new initiative was to avert post-election acrimony and also to curb electoral violence which has been a tradition in the institution during electioneering period.

According to her, “we started very well and its going on very well. It is the best option that we have now and kudos to the school management for coming out with this idea. The election has been on since morning and you can see people sitting down no tension, we are okay.

“Before now, the election is always mar with violence and crisis but now we all have our peace. The voting is going on peacefully. Students don’t need to be on campus before voting once they can access the portal.

“Both the students and management prefer this system of voting because, there is less stress and it cost-less. Although, there are few challenges but I am sure that there will be improvement in subsequent elections”, Ayoade assured.

The implementation of the e-voting system, just like every other noble idea, is not without its challenges, she, however disclosed some of the challenges the exercise faced at the commencement of the election.

“The complaint we had was that some people are voting outside by hacking into the system but that has been resolved everything is normal now. It took us a long time before we can calm the candidates down and convince them about this option. We are supposed to have this election since August but we shifted it now to perfect the system because we don’t want any crisis or post-election violence”.

Also corroborating her, the institution’s Public Relations Officer, Alhaji Soladoye Adewole explained that the management set up electoral committee which included Faculty officers, Student representative council (SRC), Student Press Council and others to decide on what modalities to adopt for the election and the e-voting was the best option.

He stressed that the introduction of the e-voting system became imperative so as to eliminate doubt and fear of election rigging as the system is tension-free, adding that the new initiative has helped to reduce the cost of campaign during election.

Soladoye said, “ We settled for the e-voting, streamlined the pre-election process , midwived and put the process in place and the students were carried along. There was no tension, ballot snatching, killing, because they voted in their comfort zones. It is tension free.

The Polytechnic Ibadan image maker , however noted that there were few challenges, but reassured that more efforts would be channeled towards improving and sustaining the new system.

Some of the agents at the collation center who spoke with our reporter lauded the ingenuity of the management. They further called for the need for improvement on the system.

According to Akpeji Clement, one of the agents, “this is the first time the Polytechnic Ibadan is organizing such an innovative set up of voting online. It is a very good one. Before now there were a lot of anxieties. Students were wondering how it will go about especially how they would log on to the website. But with what we have seen, everything is going on fine, we hope that other institutions and the government would emulate this innovation to reduce electoral violence.

“With this system of voting, we have no option than to be satisfied with the outcome of the election. Although a lot of students were unable to vote based on the fact that we have to log in with our second semester school fee receipts. The fact that I have not paid my school fee receipt doesn’t mean that I am not a bonafide student of the Polytechnic of Ibadan”,

Another agent, Oyekunle Yusuf, who called for the need for voters education summited, “we are aware but I think they need to give us demo to know how to go about it. Not every students are familiar with this new system. But it is a very democratic way of electing our leaders”

Mega Icon Magazine reliably gathered that some students made effort to break into the system, but the management was in complete control of the situation.

No doubt, the alternative electronic voting has demonstrated great advantages especially in introducing efficiency at the vote tallying stage of the election. It is indeed, a secured approach to guarantee the sanctity of the process, but can be improved upon.

Up Next

Those eyeing Oyo Gov seat should wait till 2023 – Makinde

Don't Miss

Oyo Govt, NGO partner against Tropical diseases

Comments

Education

ADC guber candidate, Adegoke decries 674,324 out-of-school children in Oyo

Published

5 days ago

August 18, 2026

Mega Icon

The governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Oyo State, Chief Adegboyega Adegoke, has expressed concern over the growing number of out-of-school children in the state.

Adegoke raised the concern on Monday in Ibadan, the state capital, while speaking at the inauguration of his campaign council.

He described the situation as worrisome, noting that urgent steps were needed to ensure that children of school age have access to quality education.

Mega Icon Magazine recalled that a recent report indicated that Oyo State has the highest number of out-of-school children in the South-West, with about 674,324 children between the ages of three and 17 reportedly out of school.

Adegoke said it was disturbing that the situation persisted despite the huge federal allocations accruing to the state.

He stressed the need for greater attention to education and grassroots development, saying local government autonomy would help drive human development and economic growth at the grassroots.

“Local government autonomy is a vital tool in grassroots human development and economic growth,” he said.

Education

Tinubu Appoints Adelabu Rector, Federal Polytechnic Ayede

Published

2 weeks ago

August 13, 2026

Mega Icon

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the appointment of Dr Isiaka Tunji Adelabu as the substantive Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, Ayede, Oyo State.

The appointment, which took effect on August 5, 2026, was announced by the Acting Director of the Centre for Information, Communication and Public Relations (CICPR), Sunday Adepoju, on behalf of the institution.

Adepoju, in a statement, quoted the Registrar of the polytechnic, Akinlolu Akinpade, as saying that Adelabu’s appointment was approved by President Tinubu.

Until his appointment, Adelabu was a Chief Lecturer in the Department of Accountancy at the Federal Polytechnic, Ede, Osun State, where he also served as a Chartered Accountant.

He had held several administrative positions at the institution, including Head of Department, Dean of School and Deputy Rector (Administration).

His appointment, according to the polytechnic, brings to the institution a combination of academic experience and administrative exposure considered vital to its continued development.

Akinpade said Adelabu’s track record and experience would position him to contribute meaningfully to the growth of the institution.

He urged members of the polytechnic community to extend their full support and cooperation to the new Rector as he settles into office.

The Registrar said: “The support and cooperation of the entire polytechnic community will be crucial to enabling the new Rector to advance the vision and mission of the institution.”

With the appointment, Adelabu becomes the second substantive Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, Ayede.

The management, staff and students of the institution, as well as the Governing Council, congratulated Adelabu on his appointment and wished him wisdom, strength and the capacity to provide purposeful leadership and take the polytechnic to greater heights.

Education

MAKPOLY holds maiden Music Technology performance exam

Published

4 weeks ago

July 29, 2026

Mega Icon

Michael Adeniyi Koleosho Polytechnic, Saki, Oyo State, on Wednesday recorded a major milestone with the conduct of the maiden final-year performance examination for the pioneer student of its Department of Music Technology, marking a new chapter in the institution’s commitment to practical and creative education.

The examination, held at the TETFund Building of the School of Business and Communication Studies, featured Master Okegbola Moses Bright, the department’s first National Diploma student. Lecturers, students, family members and other guests gathered at the venue to witness what many described as a historic moment for the institution.

The practical assessment was coordinated by the Acting Head of the Department, Dr. Abegunrin Adebayo Olugbenga, while two external examiners from The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Dr. Rotimi Ologududu and Dr. Abiodun Akere, evaluated the student’s performance. The Dean of the School of Business and Communication Studies, Mr. Waheed Popoola, and other senior officials of the polytechnic also attended the exercise.

Welcoming guests, Abegunrin described the occasion as a landmark in the department’s history, saying it signalled that the vision behind establishing the programme was becoming a reality.

He said, “Today marks a milestone not just for our department, but for Michael Adeniyi Koleosho Polytechnic. We are witnessing the stage performance of our very first Music Technology student. This is the first of many, and it shows that the seed we planted has begun to bear fruit.”

He explained that the performance examination is a compulsory practical requirement for the award of the National Diploma in Music Technology, adding that it is designed to assess students’ creativity, technical competence and stage performance.

“Music Technology is not just about theory; it is about performance, production and impact. Our pioneer student is setting the standard for those who will come after him,” he added.

Congratulating the student for blazing the trail, Abegunrin urged him to perform with confidence, passion and professionalism. He also encouraged other students in the department to remain focused and committed, assuring them that they, too, would have the opportunity to showcase their talents in due course.

Speaking on the department’s future, the acting head said plans were underway to expand its studio facilities, strengthen collaboration with industry players and build a programme capable of producing graduates with the skills to thrive in the music and creative industries.

“Our goal is to make this department a hub for sound production, live performance, music business and digital creativity in Oyo State and beyond,” he said.

Abegunrin thanked the management of the polytechnic for its continued support and expressed appreciation to the Dean of the School of Business and Communication Studies, members of staff and other stakeholders for their contributions to the growth of the Department of Music Technology, saying their commitment had been instrumental to the programme’s success.