2023: the CENI clarifies the mode of transmission of election results

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said on Sunday that it would continue to adopt electronic transmission of results for the 2023 general elections.

INEC spokesman Festus Okoye said this in a statement clarifying an earlier report in which he was quoted as saying the results of the upcoming elections would be collated manually.

"Section 60(5) of the Act requires the Presiding Officer to transfer the results, including the total number of accredited voters and the results of the ballot in the manner prescribed by the commission. Thereafter, the presiding officer must, after recording and announcing the results, return them with the electoral material under security and accompanied by the candidates or their electoral agents, if available, to the person designated by the commission.

"The implication of this is that the process of collecting results is still largely manual, but the collection agent must collect subject to their verification and confirmation that the number of accredited voters shown on the collected result is correct and consistent with the number of accredited voters registered and transmitted directly from the polling stations,” Mr. Okoye said.

Mr. Okoye was slammed by Nigerians on social media platforms because of this comment.

But Mr Okoye said on Sunday his comment had been misinterpreted, insisting that the electronic transmission of results adopted in the recent off-season gubernatorial elections now stands.

He argued that the electronic transmission of election results has enhanced the credibility of INEC, as evidenced by the recently concluded gubernatorial elections in Ekiti and Osun states.

Mr. Okoye said the commission has long considered using the same procedure for the 2023 elections.

READ ALSO: 2023: Nigeria's voter population will reach 95 million - INEC

“We wish to reassure Nigerians that the electronic transmission of results has become sustainable. real-time INEC (IReV) results on election day.There will be no changes or deviations in subsequent elections.

"The entire management of results is provided for in Articles 60, 62 and 64 of the Electoral Law of 2022. In accordance with the provisions of the law, the Commission, in April this year, issued a detailed clarification of the procedure for the transmission, collation and declaration of the results which were shared with all stakeholders and uploaded to our website,” he said.

The INEC spokesperson also cautioned Nigerians against “finding based on media headlines” rather than facts as enshrined in the electoral law.

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