Just 72 hours before the governorship elections in Imo, Bayelsa, and Kogi states, many Nigerians have urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to use these upcoming off-season polls as an opportunity to address the lack of confidence in the country’s electoral process. These calls have arisen amid a divided public opinion and controversies that followed the outcome of the 2023 general elections.
DAILY POST previously reported that one of the issues raised in the challenge against the declaration of President Bola Tinubu as the winner of the February 25 presidential election was the alleged non-compliance with the 2022 electoral law by INEC. Presidential candidates Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) contended that INEC did not adhere to the provisions of the 2022 electoral act and its own regulations during the election. They argued that INEC failed to follow its rules by not using technological devices for voter accreditation, verification, continuation, and authentication as required.
Although their claims were dismissed by the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) and the Supreme Court, the Supreme Court did acknowledge that the non-functioning of INEC’s Result Viewing (IReV) portal could reduce public confidence in the electoral process.
Last month, when there were rumors that INEC planned to manually transmit the results of the upcoming November 11 Bayelsa governorship election, many Nigerians expressed concerns. However, the Chairman of INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, denied these rumors and confirmed that the results would be transmitted electronically using the BVAS machine for accreditation and result upload on the INEC Election Result Viewing portal.
Yakubu also emphasized the importance of INEC staff maintaining non-partisanship during the November 11 governorship election in Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi states, emphasizing INEC’s commitment to credible elections.
The National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Yabagi Sani, advised INEC to use the upcoming off-season governorship elections in Imo, Bayelsa, and Kogi as an opportunity to address the confidence deficit in the country’s electoral process and urged security agencies to remain impartial and resist financial inducements.
Additionally, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) warned that the credibility of the off-cycle elections in these states was at risk without the use of IReV and BVAS. HURIWA expressed disappointment that the National Assembly had not expedited the amendment of the electoral act to make electronic transmission of results mandatory.
In an interview, a media and communication scholar at Peaceland University, Nduka Odo, urged INEC to establish and adhere to clear voting and transmission guidelines to rebuild the trust of Nigerians. Odo emphasized the importance of INEC keeping its promises and ensuring that its technology functions without hitches to avoid a loss of trust from the public.