With the Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections just days away, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it has concluded most of the statutory activities required ahead of the polls. In this interview with Ben Adoga, Administrative Secretary of INEC, FCT, Bimbo Olagunjoye, speaks on the commission’s level of preparedness, logistics in hard-to-reach communities, result transmission, security arrangements, and measures put in place to guarantee a peaceful and credible election
In a couple of days, the FCT Area Council elections will take place. How prepared are you for this election?
INEC is very ready for this election. We have about 13 major activities that must be carried out before the election proper, starting as far back as 360 days before the election. These activities cover the entire election process. So far, we have completed 10 of the 13 activities, indicating that we are mainly on track and adequately prepared.
What are those activities that are still pending?
The remaining activities include the receipt of sensitive election materials, which we are about to commence, and the issuance of the Notice of Polls. We have already issued the Notice of Election, but the Notice of Polls is issued exactly 14 days before the election, and that should happen tomorrow, Saturday. After that, the final activity is the election itself, which is the main event.
Still on preparedness, what are your plans for releasing election results? How long will residents have to wait for results?
The speed at which results are released depends on several factors. One of them is logistics. Many people who live in the city centre think that the FCT is just the city centre with good roads and infrastructure. However, the honest elections take place in the area councils, and it is a different ball game entirely. In some of these areas, logistics pose serious challenges. There are places where officials have to cross rivers, trek long distances, or ride motorcycles for hours to reach polling units. Some locations are mountainous and have poor road networks. In specific communities, vehicles must be parked at a distance, and officials then proceed on motorcycles for two to three hours to reach polling units. All these factors will affect how quickly results can be collated and declared. However, INEC is very mindful of this and is fully committed to ensuring that collation and declaration of results take place as quickly as possible.
There has been a national debate on the electronic transmission of results. Which Electoral Act is INEC working with, and how do you intend to transmit results?
INEC will work with the existing Electoral Act that is currently in force. That Act allows INEC to transmit results from the polling units. We will continue with our standard process, which includes voter accreditation and authentication using the BVAS. After voting and counting at the polling units, results will be declared at the unit level and then uploaded electronically to the INEC Result Viewing portal, IReV, for public access. This process will continue until a new Electoral Act is enacted.
What assurance is there for voters in remote areas that the result they see at their polling unit is the same one transmitted electronically?
The beauty of the technology is in its transparency. Once results are transmitted, they can be accessed from anywhere with network coverage. Even in the remotest parts of Nigeria, if you can access the internet or use applications like WhatsApp on your phone, you can view the results online. The results are available on the INEC portal at www.inecelectionresults.ng, where voters can verify that the uploaded results match those announced at their polling units.
INEC earlier announced that it will conduct a mock election. Why is this necessary?
The mock election is like a test run before the primary election. Before every major election, INEC tests its technology and processes. We test the BVAS for accreditation and also test the result upload process. This helps us ensure that all equipment and technology are functioning correctly and that there are no surprises on Election Day. The aim is to make sure that our systems do not disappoint during the actual election.
Let’s talk about security. What measures have been put in place to guarantee the safety of personnel, materials, and voters before, during, and after the election?
We are working very closely with the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, ICCES, which the FCT Resident Electoral Commissioner and the FCT Commissioner of Police co-chair. So far, we have held two ICCES meetings, and another one is scheduled before the election. Through our Electoral Officers, we identified about 289 polling units that are prone to violence. This information has been shared with all the security agencies involved, so they are fully aware and prepared. Our collaboration with security agencies is powerful.
Some voters are worried that a heavy security presence could discourage people from voting. What is your response?
Security presence is meant to protect voters, not to intimidate them. While the city centre may appear calm, some area councils have experienced tensions and disputes during campaign activities. There have been instances of quarrels and clashes in some communities. For this reason, it is essential to have adequate security personnel on the ground to reassure voters that they are safe and that there will be no violence on Election Day.
INEC is often seen as responsible for election-day security. What instructions are you giving to security agencies?
INEC does not command security agencies. As I mentioned earlier, the security committee is co-chaired by the Commissioner of Police and the Resident Electoral Commissioner. Any security information or alerts are shared with the appropriate authorities. The Commissioner of Police will be on the ground, and data will be exchanged continuously. There is no directive such as “shoot on sight.” Our role is coordination and information sharing.
If there are incidents such as ballot box snatching or violence, what will be the response?
We do not expect it to get to that point. We appeal to residents of the FCT to conduct themselves peacefully. Elections are civil exercises. People should come out, cast their votes peacefully, and return home. A peaceful election is in everyone’s interest.
