Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has backed the calls for electronic voting in Nigeria ahead of the general elections in 2023.

Jonathan made the disclosure on Wednesday while delivering a lecture at the inauguration ceremony/lecture of the National Defence College, Course 30, in Abuja.

The former president who spoke on the theme, ‘Human security and national development: The whole society approach’, noted that the system guarantees credibility and integrity of elections.

As such, he charged Nigerians not to reverse the progress already recorded by the Independent National Electoral Commission through the application of modern tools.

He said, ”There is no doubt that the independence of the electoral management body is the key plank upon which a thriving democracy rests.

“In Nigeria, the agency with the constitutional responsibility for this role is the Independent National Electoral Commission.

“There is the need for those involved in the ongoing electoral reforms to review their efforts and ask themselves some tough questions.

“That way, they will be able to determine whether they are advancing the course of democracy by working to enhance and protect the constitutionally guaranteed duties of INEC or seeking to encumber the body with unnecessary posturing, capable of negatively affecting the exercise of its independence, in the conduct of elections.

“I have always made the case that electronic voting is the way to go, if we truly desire to secure the credibility and integrity of our elections.

“It is difficult, therefore, to understand why the argument against the possibility of electronic transmission of election results continues to persist, despite all the advancements made in information and communication technology, over the years.

“If we truly desire to deepen the roots of democracy in our land, we should not seek to reverse the progress already recorded by INEC in the application of modern tools in the conduct of elections but aim to improve the processes in the light of new technology.”