INEC clarifies statement on manual collation of election results in 2023 general elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has insisted that the electronic transmission of results has come to stay, noting that it has no intention of subverting provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 on that.

The clarification by the commission follows criticisms that has trailed its recent reports that INEC said that election results in the 2023 general election will be collated manually despite the legislation on electronic transmission of results.

The assurance was given by the INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Barrister Festus Okoye, in a statement titled: “Clarification on Electronic Transmission of Election Result” on Sunday in Abuja.

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

What the INEC National Commissioner is saying

Okoye said that some people had misinterpreted the commission’s explanation on the result management procedure to mean that it had jettisoned the electronic transmission of results and reverted to the manual process, which is not correct.

• The statement from Okoye reads, ”The Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) attention has been drawn to a misunderstanding arising from a recent short interview granted to a national newspaper on the procedure for result management during elections. Some have interpreted the explanation of the result management procedure to mean that the Commission has jettisoned the electronic transmission of results 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 States. There will be no change in all future elections, including the 2023 General Election.
• “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 on real-time on Election Day. There will be no change or deviation in subsequent elections.
• “The entire gamut of result management is provided for in Sections 60, 62 and 64 of the Electoral Act 2022. In line with the provision of the law, the Commission, in April this year, released a detailed clarification of the procedure for transmission, collation and declaration of result which was shared with all stakeholders and uploaded to our website.
• ‘’We appeal to all Nigerians to avail themselves to the provisions of the Electoral Act and the commission’s detailed explanation of the procedure and not reach a conclusion on the basis of media headlines.’’

What you should know

• Recall that on August 21, there were media reports that INEC said that the collation of results of the 2023 general elections will be done manually despite the adoption of electronic transmission of results.
• Festus Okoye said that that the commission would transmit results from polling units to its result-viewing portal as done in recent elections, but that the Electoral Act was clear on how collation should be done.
• During an interview he pointed out that there is a marked difference between the transfer/transmission of results and the collation of results, noting that Section 50(2) of the Electoral Act, 2022 gives the commission the absolute discretion to determine the mode and procedure of voting in an election and the transmission of election results