By Ben Ogbemudia, David Lawani, Cajetan Mmuta, and Oluwadamisi Ojo
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday said there was a misunderstanding of the position of the commission on the transmission of election results in the 2023 general elections.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye in an interview on Saturday said the collation of results of the 2023 general elections will be done manually despite the adoption of electronic transmission of results.

Okoye was quoted to have said, “Section 60(5) of the Act makes it mandatory that the presiding officer shall transfer the results, including a total number of accredited voters and the results of the ballot in a manner prescribed by the commission.

“Thereafter, the presiding officer shall after recording and announcing the results deliver the same along with election materials under security and accompanied by the candidates or their polling agents, were available to such person as may be prescribed by the commission.

“The implication of this is that the collation process of results is still essentially manual, but the collation officer must collate subject to his verification and confirmation that the number of accredited voters stated on the collated result is correct and consistent with the number of accredited voters recorded and transmitted directly from polling units.”

However, a statement to clarify the matter noted that the Commission was misunderstood in an earlier interview granted to a national newspaper.

The commission clarified a statement titled: “Clarification on Electronic Transmission of Election Result” signed by Festus Okoye, in Abuja yesterday.

Okoye said that electronic transmission of results would be deployed for all future elections and the 2023 general elections.

He said the commission’s attention had been drawn to a misunderstanding arising from a recent short interview granted to a national newspaper on the procedure for result management during elections.

Basic documentation for start-ups

Okoye said that some had interpreted the explanation of the result management procedure to mean that the commission had jettisoned the electronic transmission of the result and reverted to the manual process. “This is not correct.

“For clarity, the procedure for result transmission remains the same as in recent governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun. There will be no change in all future elections, including the 2023 general elections.

“We wish to reassure Nigerians that the electronic transmission of results has come to stay. It adds to the credibility and transparency of the process when citizens follow polling unit-level results on the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal in real-time on Election Day.

“There will be no change or deviation in subsequent elections.”

Okoye said the entire gamut of result management was provided for in Sections 60, 62, and 64 of the Electoral Act 2022.

He said that in line with the provision of the law, the commission, in April 2022, released a detailed clarification of the procedure for transmission, collation, and declaration of result which was shared with all stakeholders and uploaded on the INEC website.

Okoye appealed to all Nigerians to avail themselves of the provisions of the Electoral Act and the commission’s detailed explanation of the procedure and not reach a conclusion based on media headlines.

Before the clarification came, stakeholders rose in strong condemnation of the report credited to INEC that it would deploy the manual collation of results in the conduct of the 2023 general elections.

The latest resolve if anything goes by contradicts the general expectations by Nigerians that the commission is poised to use the electronic system to transmit results during the polls next year.

The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, alleged that INEC is laying the foundation for the rigging of the 2023 election through the manual collation of results.

Atiku, reacting through his spokesman, Daniel Bwala, yesterday alleged that with such a statement by INEC was laying the foundation for the rigging of the 2023 elections.

The PDP Presidential candidate spokesman explained that “Section 60 is clear. At the close of voting at the polling unit, the voting results will be uploaded, meaning that by the time the officer from the unit goes to the ward, he cannot present a result different from the one that was uploaded, which every voter can have access to it.”

Also, the Chairman of the Board of the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (InterSociety), Comrade Emeka Umeagbalasi in reaction lambasted the electoral commission for portraying itself as “a confused and collapsed body without an iota of independence.”

He said INEC by the latest statement had proven to expectant Nigerians and the whole world that it’s out to do the bidding of the north because it is now speaking from both sides of its mouth.

He called on political parties to wake up from their slumber and resists any attempt by the electoral body to arm-twist the electorate and throw the nation into chaos.

A senior lawyer, John Okoli-Akirirka in his reaction said: “I don’t want to concede the fact that Festus Okoye said that but for argument, assuming we have to concede he said that; if he said that, it is very, very unfortunate and obnoxious.

“It is untenable in law, illogic, and one that is against the letters and spirit of the recently enacted Electoral Act 2022. Secondly, assuming the Electoral Act does not make that kind of position, common sense holds that INEC has vowed to conduct the free, fair, and transparent election.”

Also, a former Speaker of Ondo State House of Assembly, Dr Bakita Bello, described the earlier misleading information as retrogressive, suspicious, and uncalled for in this age when Nigeria needs the innovation that will bring in credible elections.

Bello noted that INEC used electronic and got credits for both Osun and Ekiti gubernatorial elections.

If PDP presidential candidate, party chair are from south, north won’t accept it – Bode George

He called on INEC to reverse the unpopular decision in the interest of democracy.

Another lawyer, Bayo Awe also condemned the decision of INEC on the use of electronic, when he said: “the age of election rigging and the use of thugs to snatch ballot boxes has gone, saying we don’t want it to resurface to reduce elections malpractices that were rampant before.

A woman political activist from Arigidi Akoko in Ondo State, Chief Funmilayo Ajayiogidi, said women lauded INEC when the electronic means of collating and transmitting results was introduced because there was less thuggery, acrimony, and even elections petition in the law courts.

She said Nigerians are expecting a credible and rancour-free 2023 general that will be accepted and adjudged as the best in the country.

The Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), in a reaction through its Chairman, Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani), disclosed that the attempt by INEC to resort to a manual collation of results falls short of the provisions of the Electoral Act saying such will only open space for manipulation of the process.