Odimmegwa Johnpeter/Abuja
Following the recent inspection of election readiness in the Kuje, Gwagwalada, and Bwari Area Councils of the FCT by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, the Commission has observed headlines in certain media outlets claiming the chairman confirmed ‘real-time’ transmission of results for the February 21 polls. This was contained in a statement signed by Adedayo Oketola, CPS/Media Adviser, to the INEC Chairman, Abuja.
The statement reads: “We wish to clarify that at no point during his engagement with the press did the chairman use the phrase ‘real-time.’ Such a description is a misrepresentation of his technical explanation of the Commission’s processes.
“What the chairman actually said: Responding to questions on whether INEC was experimenting with technology, Prof. Amupitan reiterated that the Commission had a settled protocol for the electronic transmission of results that had been in use since 2022.
He stated, “Since 2022, INEC has been transmitting results… We have BVAS, and BVAS is capable of accrediting and also uploading and transmitting the results. So definitely, the results will be transmitted.”
“While the Commission remains fully committed to the electronic upload of scanned Polling Unit results (Form EC8A) to the IReV portal, as mandated by the Commission’s regulations and the Electoral Act, this process occurs after the completion of voting, counting, and the manual signing of results by party agents at the polling units.
“The use of ‘real-time” implies a simultaneous or live feed of votes as they are cast, which is not the procedure provided for in the legal framework.
“Given the sensitive nature of election technology in our current national discourse, we urge our partners in the media to be meticulous in their reportage. Misquoting the chairman on technical procedures can lead to unnecessary public agitation and misinformation.
“INEC remains 100% committed to a transparent, technology-driven election in the FCT and looks forward to your continued professional coverage of the democratic process,” it also added.
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