INEC Speaks On Suspending Transmission Of Polling Units’ Results

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has refuted reports that it plans to abandon the transmission of Polling Unit (PUs) results and switch to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal.

Naija News reports that INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, said this on Friday in Abuja.

He also denied media reports the Commission wanted to rig the 2023 general elections by abandoning the direct and real-time electronic upload of PUs results to the IReV portal by the Registration Area Technical Support Staff (RATECHSS).

Okoye, therefore, advised Nigerians to ignore the reports, saying that nothing can stop INEC from using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and IReV for voter accreditation and uploading of polling unit results in real-time.

He said: “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.

“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.”