Firm Claims Credit Over BVAS, IREV Idea as FG, INEC Hit 77BN Lawsuit

A US-based company, Renaissance Network Africa (RNA), has sued the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the federal government over an alleged failure to acknowledge them as the originators of the e-voting system used during elections.

The suit which was filed before the Abuja federal high court on March 21 is marked FHC/ABJ/CS/391/2023, the plaintiffs are asking the court to be granted an order which would direct the defendants to pay N77 billion as compensation and another N500 million as damages for allegedly using their idea without giving credit.

Adah Obekpa, the head of the company claimed that he and his team came up with an innovative and novel I-voting system that will ensure free, fair and credible elections for sustainable democracy in Nigeria in 2010.

According to him the I-voting system proposal was initiated by him to ensure that valid votes cast in any elections in Nigeria are not altered while invalid votes are also not allowed or counted by unscrupulous elements who aid desperate politicians to rig elections.

He said he flew to Nigeria to meet and discuss his proposal with Atahiru Jega, former INEC chairman.

Obekpa claimed to have deployed both financial and human resources in the creation and design of the I-voting proposal for INEC in 2010 which is now christened as BVAS and IREV.

Obekpa and his team want a declaration from the court that the I-voting proposal is the same as the BVAS and IREV.

Also, he wants the court to direct the federal government to publicly recognize him and his team who were involved in the preparation and design of the I-voting proposal to the 1st defendant since 2010.