Education
Innovation: Ibadan Poly Introduces e-Voting System for SUG Elections
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.
The Ogun State Government has inaugurated a multi-sectoral Safe Schools Steering Committee as part of renewed efforts to strengthen security architecture across schools in the state amid rising concerns over the safety of pupils, students, and teachers.
The committee is expected to drive the formulation and implementation of policies, strategies, and intervention programmes aimed at preventing security breaches, enhancing emergency preparedness, and ensuring that schools remain safe, stable, and conducive for learning.
Inaugurating the committee in Abeokuta, the state capital, the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, described the initiative as a deliberate and strategic response to emerging security challenges in the education sector.
He said the composition of the committee reflected a careful selection of professionals drawn from relevant sectors, based on competence, experience, and institutional responsibility.
According to him, the government recognises that schools can no longer be treated as isolated institutions, but must be protected through coordinated action involving government agencies, security operatives, communities, and development partners.
“The inauguration of the Ogun State Safe Schools Steering Committee is a strategic response aimed at strengthening collaboration among government agencies, security services, communities, development partners and all stakeholders in the education sector,” Arigbabu said.
He stressed that the task before the committee was urgent and non-negotiable, warning that the future of children in the state depended on the quality and timeliness of their decisions.
“As members of this committee, your selection was based on expertise, experience, and institutional responsibilities. This task is both important and urgent. The future of our children depends on the effectiveness of the decisions and actions we take today,” he said.
Arigbabu urged members to discharge their duties with “dedication, professionalism, integrity and a strong sense of purpose,” adding that every school in Ogun State must remain a place of safety, hope, and opportunity rather than fear.
“I therefore charge you to approach this assignment with dedication, professionalism, integrity, and a strong sense of purpose. Let us work together to ensure that every school in Ogun State remains a place of safety, learning, hope, and opportunity,” he added.
Other stakeholders at the inauguration reinforced the need for collective responsibility, stressing that school safety cannot rest on government alone but requires sustained collaboration from all segments of society.
They noted that communities, parents, security agencies, and development partners must work in synergy to safeguard learning environments and protect the future of children.
“As we inaugurate this committee today, let us recognise that school safety is not the responsibility of government alone. It is a shared responsibility requiring partnership, vigilance, innovation, and collective action,” one of the stakeholders said.
“The decisions we take and the commitment we make here today will contribute significantly to shaping the future of thousands of learners across our state,” the stakeholder added.
The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Oyo State Wing, has directed all public primary and secondary school teachers in the state to embark on an indefinite strike over the continued abduction of teachers and pupils.
The strike, which takes effect from Monday, June 1, 2026, is expected to ground academic activities across public schools in the state.
The union said the action became imperative following what it described as growing insecurity in schools and the prolonged captivity of abducted teachers and pupils whose whereabouts remain unknown.
In a statement jointly signed by the Chairman of the Oyo State Wing of the NUT, Hassan Fatai, and the Secretary, Salami Olukayode, the union expressed concerns over the psychological impact of the incidents on teachers, learners and parents.
According to the union, the lingering abduction cases have created fear and anxiety among teachers, weakened confidence in the safety of schools and discouraged many parents from sending their children to school.
The statement read in part, “The Nigeria Union of Teachers, Oyo State Wing, hereby directs all public primary and secondary school teachers across the state to commence an indefinite strike action effective from Monday, June 1, 2026, pending urgent and decisive action by relevant authorities on the abduction of teachers and pupils.”
The union explained that the industrial action was aimed at compelling the government and security agencies to intensify efforts toward the immediate and unconditional release of the victims.
It urged teachers across the state to comply fully with the directive, remain peaceful and law-abiding, and prioritise their safety while staying away from classrooms during the strike.
The NUT also expressed solidarity with the abducted victims and their families, assuring that it would continue to engage relevant authorities until the victims were safely rescued.
The union reaffirmed its commitment to the welfare, safety and security of teachers and pupils, stressing that the protection of school communities remained non-negotiable.
No fewer than 2,243,816 candidates on Thursday commenced the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board across accredited Computer-Based Test centres nationwide.
The figure represents a 10.5 per cent increase from the 2.03 million candidates recorded in 2025.
The examination, which began on April 16, is being conducted in about 1,000 CBT centres nationwide, with candidates scheduled in four daily sessions to reduce congestion and improve verification processes.
The board said it had deployed biometric verification and real-time monitoring systems to safeguard the integrity of the exercise, noting that candidates whose biometric details could not be authenticated would be rescheduled.
Candidates were advised to print their examination slips from the JAMB portal to confirm their schedules and arrive at least one hour before their examination time.
Under the revised timetable, first-session candidates are expected at 7:00 a.m., followed by 9:00 a.m. for the second session, 11:00 a.m. for the third session, and 2:00 p.m. for the final session.
JAMB disclosed that Lagos State recorded the highest number of registered candidates with 381,814, followed by Ogun with 137,156 and Oyo with 122,662. Kaduna recorded 103,498 candidates, while the Federal Capital Territory had 102,961.
Other states include Rivers with 105,584 candidates and Kano with 83,167, while Borno and Zamfara recorded the lowest figures with 13,483 and 14,861 candidates respectively.
Outside Nigeria, participation remained low, with Côte d’Ivoire recording 32 candidates, followed by Equatorial Guinea with 16, Burkina Faso with 14, and the United Kingdom with 12 candidates.
As part of efforts to enhance efficiency, the board increased the number of CBT centres but delisted 23 centres across several states, including Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Delta, Edo, Plateau and the Federal Capital Territory, over technical deficiencies observed during the mock examination.
The board said the action was necessary to maintain operational standards and ensure the credibility of the examination process.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force dismissed reports of insecurity at some centres, describing such claims as unfounded.
The police said it had deployed additional personnel, including patrol teams, perimeter surveillance units and rapid response squads, to ensure the safety of candidates nationwide.
The force added that it was collaborating with other security agencies to monitor the exercise and respond swiftly to any threats.
It assured parents and candidates of adequate security, urging candidates to comply with examination guidelines, arrive early and report suspicious activities.
The police also advised the public to disregard unverified information on social media and rely on official communication channels.
JAMB reiterated its commitment to transparency, warning candidates against accepting admissions outside its Central Admissions Processing System.
It stressed that any admission conducted outside CAPS would be considered illegal and would not be recognised.
-
Politics1 week ago2027: Oseni Mobilises Oyo Artisans, Traders, Targets One Million Votes for Tinubu
-
News4 days ago
Kola Oyewo’s family to Adeleke, Ooni, Atiku: Your condolences are our pillar of strength
-
Opinion1 week ago
The Silent Thief in Nigeria’s Petrol Stations | By Solomon Oroge
-
Politics6 days ago
Oyo APC rejects Makinde’s planned December LG poll, vows boycott
