Victor Ezeja
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has described as false an allegation that it is plotting to rig the 2023 general elections by abandoning the real-time electronic transmission of election results from polling units to INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal.
Reports in some media platforms claimed that the commission has decided not to allow real-time upload, and public viewing of election results from polling units in INEC IReV portal during the 2023 general elections. Some reports stated that there were indications that INEC leadership has concluded plans not to allow for realtime, public access/view to results at the polling units.
Reacting to that, the commission in a statement signed by Festus Okoye, INEC National Commissioner Information and Voter Education Committee, said the claim is absolutely false.
Okoye said the commission had repeatedly reassured Nigerians that it would transmit results directly from the polling units as witnessed in Ekiti and Osun governorship elections and other off-cycle polls in different parts of the country since August 2020.
The statement reads, “Our attention has been drawn to reports in a section of the media of alleged plans by the Commission to rig the 2023 General Election by abandoning the direct and real-time electronic upload of polling unit results to the INEC Result Viewing (ReV) portal by the Registration Area Technical Support Staff (RATECHSs).
“The claim is patently false. The Commission has repeatedly reassured Nigerians that it will transmit results directly from the polling units as we witnessed in Ekiti and Osun State Governorship elections and 103 more constituencies where off-cycle Governorship/FCT Area Council elections and bye-elections were held since August 2020. The results can still be viewed on the portal.”
Okoye stressed that IReV is a technological innovations introduced by INEC to ensure integrity and credibility of election results and that the commission would not reverse itself on that.
“The IReV is one of the innovations introduced by the Commission to ensure the integrity and credibility of election results in Nigeria. It is therefore inconceivable that the Commission will turn around and undermine its own innovations.
“The public is advised to ignore the reports. The Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and IReV have come to stay for voter accreditation and uploading of polling unit results in real-time in Nigeria.”
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
