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Tag: Prof. Mahmood Yakubu

  • Mahmood’s expected declaration – By Evaristus Bassey

    Mahmood’s expected declaration – By Evaristus Bassey

    By Evaristus Bassey

    Months before the 2023 general elections I and my childhood friend would discuss the elections and conclude that even if the opposition won every vote, APC would not handover power after a paltry eight years in office! At first, we thought the key to this incumbency would be the refusal to sign further amendments to the electoral act that would introduce more technology. We were taken by surprise when Buhari signed the 2022 Electoral Act and outlawed manual accreditation. I had joked on twitter that I would stop eating Afang soup, a delicacy in my south-south region, if Buhari signed it before the 2019 elections. I won the bet. But I lost the bet when I said I would stop drinking garri if Buhari signed the Electoral Act before the 2023 Elections. Buhari won the bet, so I have had to make such a huge sacrifice of not drinking garri as a favourite past-time, with groundnuts.

    When Buhari signed the 2022 Electoral Act, I began to wonder whether he wasn’t interested in his party continuing in government, because, apart from the 2015 elections, I could bet my blood that there was no way APC could win a free and fair presidential election. We were on the watchout for how APC would maneuver the provision in the Electoral Act that made it mandatory for only accredited voters to vote, effectively removing the fraud of maximizing votes based on number of registered voters. We were happy too with the provision on the transfer of results from the polling unit with the Bi-modal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS). It meant that at the completion of voting, each polling officer would transfer the result sheet to the INEC server in real time, and anyone could access the result viewing portal. If any results were cooked anywhere, it was just a question of adding up the numbers and coming up with the real result. It sounded so good, and we really thought the birth of a new Nigeria was at hand. But it sounded too good to be true, and my friend who eventually decided to join the APC would constantly remind me that there were no ways APC governors would allow the party to do only eight years and throw them into political oblivion, that they would do everything possible to go the length of PDP’s 16 years at least. Deep down I thought it would really be more than African magic if APC surmounted all these challenges and emerged victorious.

    When PDP chose Atiku Abubakar, a northerner to succeed another northerner, my sympathies naturally were with APC if they chose a southerner. If the race remained merely between Atiku Abubakar and Asiwaju Tinubu, my support would naturally go to Asiwaju but I was prevented from this choice by the emergence of Peter Obi in Labour Party. The youths who galvanized around Obi and Datti did so in the hopes that the provisions of the Electoral Act would be implemented. I voted for the first time. You see I have mostly been an accredited observer during the Obasanjo elections, I couldn’t travel back home for the 2011 elections, and the 2015 and 2019 presidential elections both found me on official assignments outside the country. My polling unit was small, so I stayed and observed the counting and when it was time to upload the result sheet, the INEC ad hoc staff in charge of the BVAS kept trying and said the portal hadn’t opened yet. This was around 3.30pm so I left and went to two nearby polling units to observe the counting without giving a thought to any possible sabotage. I genuinely believed it was a network issue as we had been having issues with MTN network for weeks. It was only when I began seeing general complaints on twitter about the server not opening that I began to suspect something was amiss, and then when the results started being announced, people began seeing the discrepancies between the result sheets they had at the polling unit and the results being posted on INEC portal, meaning that the glitch in the network had given the powers that be a lapse to deconstruct the figures! As long as the result sheets were not on INEC portal in real time, it became indicative of suspicion. Rumours that result sheets wouldn’t be transferred in real time, which INEC chairman came out to debunk in November last year, turned out the truth. With this window, APC managed to retain itself in power for another eight years. In all this, my consolation as a person is that it is not Atiku Abubakar that this whole abracadabra has benefitted.

    The official result of the presidential election shows that Asiwaju Tinubu is a one-man cabal. He clearly wasn’t wanted by the cabal in the party, but he emerged anyway as its candidate. If not for him, APC would have foisted another northerner on us and our cries would die down after a few days. The Naira swap was perceived to be a tool against Asiwaju’s emergence, but he has emerged anyway, thereby making the cabal in the presidency actually look small and powerless. Now that the Naira swap did not work to stop Asiwaju from emerging, could the CBN release more money to the commercial banks  so that the suffering could end?

    The main concern now is how to deal with the deep disappointment in our youths who really hoped that this was an opportunity to rebuild the country. How do we get them to hope again? How do we get them to believe in a new Nigeria again, when the steal was so much in their face? There is no need to hope in the Nigerian judiciary to address any wrongs because a presidential petition ordinarily is a herculean task; one would have to gather evidence from all the polling units in the country and prove beyond reasonable doubt that there were infractions. Unfortunately, those to check whether the proofs are reasonable only know one thing to be reasonable, money. There is a general perception that the consciences of those in the justice chambers are a commodity in the stock market.

    This election has proven that incumbency is not an almighty factor. President Buhari has Jagaban foisted on him as his successor, and in Cross River State, Gov Ayade had an Olimpotic deafeat. Gov Wike seems to be the greatest beneficiary, having aligned with Jagaban at the last minute. Though I resent his uncouthness, I admire him for putting former Vice President Atiku in his place who thought he could just come and usurp the turn of the south to be president, after eight years of a northerner being president! With this, no part of the country will take the other for granted.

    I still have a hope that all that Peter Obi and Datti represent isnt a fluke and that God will find a way to answer to the yearnings of those who genuinely seek a new Nigeria. For now, until the courts say otherwise, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is Nigeria’s president-elect, and congratulations to him. But he should not forget the APC governor elect of Bayelsa who heard the announcement of his removal a day before inauguration. President-elect is one thing, President inaugurated is another; Annulled-President is another, while One-term President is yet another, and 2nd-term-President is the final. Whichever one Asiwaju will be, may God’s will be done. Amen.

  • INEC boasts, we’ll announce election results swiftly

    INEC boasts, we’ll announce election results swiftly

    The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has promised that the results of Saturday’s general elections will be announced swiftly.

    The INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, on Friday, made this known to journalists in Abuja.

    He said, “I just want to say that we will ensure that result declaration will be done speedily. I can’t put a finger on the number of days or number of hours it will take but it will be done speedily. We are aware of the anxiety and the need for us to conclude the process quickly. It will be concluded quickly.”

    The INEC boss further disclosed it was not all operations of the commission were paid through cash by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

    According to him, the bulk of procurement for both goods and services was done electronically.

    He said, “But we need a small amount of money to pay for the unbanked who render critical services, particularly at the local level. We anticipated this challenge and interacted with the Central Bank; they promised us that the little amount we need to pay for services in cash, they will make the funds available to us and they have done so.

    “And these funds have already been accessed by our state offices for elections, which is why the movement of personnel and materials in the last couple of days has gone on unhindered. So, I must give credit for our relationship with the Central Bank in that regard. The process won’t suffer any encumbrance as a result.”

  • IGP Usman Baba accuses politicians, others of attacking INEC offices

    IGP Usman Baba accuses politicians, others of attacking INEC offices

    The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, has revealed that politicians and other prominent personalities of being behind the incessant attacks on offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in different parts of the country.

    Deputy Inspector-General, Department of Operations, Dandaura Mustapha, represented the IG of Police at the floor of the  House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating attacks on INEC assets across the country.

    Similarly, the INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, warned that the continued attacks on assets belonging to the electoral umpire could frustrate the 2023 general elections.

    Baba noted that the Nigeria Police Force, being the lead agency in internal security and elections generally, was always at the receiving end, stating, “Whatever happens, it is the duty of the police to protect here and there.

    “The campaigns commenced and what we realised initially was inter and intra-party disputes. We realised that members of political parties were destroying billboards, posters and campaign offices in some parts of the states. We quickly alerted the commissioners of police in charge of the commands and gave them a clear directive that it is the right of every political party to go to all the nooks and crannies of society and campaign. It is a constitutional right, so on no account does a state governor or any state actor should prevent political parties from moving about to do their campaigns.

    “We now come to the immediate attacks on INEC facilities. Of recent, the ones that took place in Osun and Ogun, then last week in Ebonyi, Imo and Enugu; it is a well known fact that in the South-East geopolitical zone, we have issues of secessionists – the IPOB and ESN. These groups are bent on stopping elections from taking place in the South-East. They have been attacking our personnel; they have been retrieving arms from members of the security agencies, not only the police but the military and other paramilitary organisations that are there. They have been doing it, especially now that the embargo on campaigns has been lifted.

    “The election is approaching very fast and they are putting much pressure to see that this election does not hold in the South-East geopolitical zone.

  • INEC working with NCC to counter result transmission issues in 2023 – Yakubu

    INEC working with NCC to counter result transmission issues in 2023 – Yakubu

    Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), says the commission is already working to resolve election result issues that may arise from blind network spots.

    Newsmen reports that the INEC chairman stated this at a One-Day Strategic Interactive session with journalists in Lagos on Friday.

    The INEC chairman’s reaction followed reservations by Nigerians on the possibility of using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in poor network areas as it depended on the telecommunications network to work.

    Yakubu said the commission would be meeting with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on Tuesday, on mobile network issues that might affect transmission of results.

    He said that Nigerians had nothing to fear about the effectiveness of result transmission in the 2023 general elections using the BVAS.

    The INEC chairman said they were liaising with NCC to make sure there would be seamless transmission of results in the 2023 elections.

    “INEC has identified blind spots (where there is poor or no networks) and we are working to make sure there won’t be any problem.

    “We are working with the NCC to make sure we transmit from blind spots. They are the network regulators and they will be very vital to that.

    “We are making sure and working hard so that we transmit freely all around the country,” he said.
    Earlier, Mr Festus Okoye, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, appralednto the media to continue to assist the commission to fight misinformation.

    Okoye said that 84 days to the general elections, the spare of fake news and misinformation on the electoral processes had become worrisome for the commission.

    He said said there was need for the media to assist in tackling the menace of false information for a successful general elections in 2023.

    Earlier in his opening remarks, INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner for Lagos State, Mr Olusegun Agbaje said the media had continued to play very important role in sustaining democracy in Nigeria.

    He urged the media to assist the commission in further ensuring that I formation on the upcing elections remained accurate and balanced.

  • Attacks: INEC Chairman counts losses, gives way out

    Attacks: INEC Chairman counts losses, gives way out

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says timely arrest and prosecution of perpetrators of attacks on its facilities and assets nationwide would end the trend.

    The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said this at the opening of a two-day Induction Retreat for the commission’s Residents Electoral Commissioners in Lagos on Wednesday.

    Newsmen reports that the retreat is organised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

    In his opening remarks, Yakubu said that in the last four months, five local government offices of the commission were attacked by unknown persons.

    According to him, critical facilities and assets are lost to those attacks, hence the need to curb the trend urgently.
    He said: “These facilities including a total of 1,992 ballot boxes, 399 voting cubicles and 22 electric power generators as well as thousands of uncollected PVCs (Permanent Voter Cards) among many other items.

    “These attacks must stop and the perpetrators apprehended and prosecuted. Our responsibility is to conduct elections. The best solution for us is the arrest and prosecution of perpetrators.

    “The ultimate solutions are the arrest and prosecution of the culprits so that vandals and arsonists do not feel that bad behaviour is acceptable in our country. It is really very sad as elections approach.

    “However, I want to assure Nigerians that we will recover from these attacks, those materials will be replaced, but there is a limit to our ability to keep replacing lost items with just 86 days to the general elections.”

    According to him, the commission will continue to work with the security agencies, traditional and community leaders and all well-meaning Nigerians to stop the attacks.

    He said that INEC was committed to ensuring that nothing would stop the elections from going ahead as scheduled ,”and the will of Nigerian people will prevail. That is what we have been assuring Nigerians about.”

    On the retreat, Yakubu said that it was part of the preparation for the 2023 general elections.

    “We are having a retreat involving all the Residents Electoral Commissioners as we are aware 19 of them were sworn in about four weeks ago.

    “We felt that there should be an induction retreat for them to familiarise themselves with the processes and procedures because the election is holding in the next 86 days,” the INEC boss said.

    He said that the retreat would also dwell on standard operating procedures on the collection of PVCs, guidelines to voters distribution to polling units, framework for electoral logistics and code of conduct for commission’s members, officials and staff.

    Yakubu said that copies of code of conduct for members, officials and staff would be made available for all.
    He added: “I want to reiterate that our success ultimately depends on our integrity. We should remain independent and impartial.

    “The commission is not a political party. The commission has no candidates in the forthcoming elections.

    ” All political parties have equal standing before the commission. The choice belongs to Nigerian citizens, the electorate.

    “Our responsibility is to uphold the sanctity of the ballots, nothing more and nothing less,” INEC boss said.

    Speaking on rumour that voters could vote without PVC on election day, Yakubu described such as “absolutely incorrect”, saying “for any person to vote, he or she must be a registered voter, issued with the PVC.

    “The commission has consistently maintained a policies that ‘no PVCs, no voting. Nothing has changed. It is a legal requirements and doing otherwise will be a violation of the law.

    “I urge Nigerians to ignore those suggestions that a person can vote on the election day without a PVC,” he said.

    Commending UNDP for supporting the retreat, Yakubu said that the long standing partnership with INEC had gone a long way in sustaining the implementing progress being witnessed in the electoral processes.

    In his goodwill message, Mr Deryck Fritz, the Chief Technical Advisor, UNDP, urged the RECs to effectively implement the policies of the commission and be proactive frontline problem-solvers.

    “It is you that must oversee the prudent management of the technical, material, financial and human resources entrusted to you. It is you that must engage impartially with the political actors.

    “It is you that must foster the critical local relationships and partnerships with civil society organizations, with the state administration, with the transport unions, with other service providers, and with the police and other security services.

    “In this period of the World Cup, we are reminded that successful elections, like successful football matches, are a result of cooperation and teamwork,” Fritz said.

    According to him, for many, the recent trajectory of improved electoral management is viewed as irreversible, but as is the case in any election, opposing forces persist, such as marketplace politics and security challenges.

    He said that these challenges would test the robustness of the INEC processes and procedures, and the commitment of its staff.

    He said that democracy, in many parts of the world, was under threat, adding that only with strong institutions would such threats be resisted and repelled.

    “And where questions arise regarding the conduct of the process, or allegations of electoral mismanagement or even fraud, it is critical that trusted and competent mechanisms exist to address these concerns, as an important alternative to electoral violence and political instability.

    “INEC as the constitutionally mandated body, must be and also be seen to be the impartial and neutral arbiter of the electoral contest,” he said.

    Newsmen reports that the retreat has in attendance all the INEC Residents Electoral Commissioners and top management staff of the commission.

  • Facility Attack: INEC speaks on holding 2023 elections

    Facility Attack: INEC speaks on holding 2023 elections

    The National Electoral Commission (INEC) has promised that election will hold in the country next year despite attacks on its facilities.

    INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, made this comment during a meeting with the Africa Union Special Pre-Electoral Political Mission led by Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.

    Yakubu assured that the election materials that got damaged during some of the attacks will be replaced by the commission.

    Three local government area offices across the country were targeted in the last three weeks; the most recent was on Sunday in Ebonyi.

    He said, “So far, we can recover from all the losses but it’s a source of concern. This shouldn’t be allowed to continue.”

    Yakubu added that security agencies would be engaged to protect INEC facilities ahead of the general polls.

    INEC is expected to conduct the 2023 general elections in the country on the 25th of February and 12th of March.

    However, if there is going to be a re-run election INEC will announce it in due course.

  • Preliminary register of voters stands at 93.5m – Prof. Mahmood

    Preliminary register of voters stands at 93.5m – Prof. Mahmood

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says the number of registered voters in Nigeria, has risen from 84,004,084 to 93,522,272, following the addition of 9,518,188 newly registered voters.

    Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the Chairman, INEC Chairman, said this at third quarterly meeting with political parties for 2022 on Wednesday in Abuja.

    Yakubu said that the figure was preliminary as Section 19(1) and (2) of the Electoral Act 2022 required the commission to display the hard copies of the register of voters for each Registration Area (ward) and Local Government Area (LGA).

    He added that INEC was also required to simultaneously publish the entire register on its website for two weeks for scrutiny, claims and objections by citizens not later than 90 days to a general election.

    “Accordingly, in the next few days, the commission will print 9,352,228 pages of the register.

    “The hard copy will be displayed for each of the 8,809 Registration Areas (Wards) and 774 LGAs nationwide while the entire register will be published on our website for claims and objections as required by law.

    “The display of the physical register will take place at the designated centers from Saturday ,Nov. 12 to Friday, Nov. 25.

    “Further details, including the procedure for filing claims and objections, would be released by the commission next week,’’ he said.

    Yakubu appealed to the electorate to seize the opportunity of the display to scrutinise the list and help INEC to clean it up further so that the final register of voters for the 2023 general election can be compiled and published.

    He said that 12,298,944 Nigerians successfully completed the registration as new voters during the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) which started on June 28 before its suspension on July 31.

    Yakubu said that after a rigorous cleaning-up of the data using the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS), a total of 2,780,756 (22.6 per cent) was identified as ineligible registrants and invalidated from the record.

    The INEC chairman said among those affected were double/multiple registrants, under aged persons and out rightly fake registrations that failed to meet the commission’s business rules.

    “Consequently, the number of valid registrations (post-ABIS) is 9,518,188.

    “In terms of demographic distribution, 7.2 million new voters or 76.5 per cent are young people between 18-34 years while there is a slightly higher number of female (4.8 million or 50.82 per cent) than male (4.6 million or 49.18 per cent) voters.

    “In terms of occupation, 3.8 million (40.8 per cent) are students. Hard copies giving the full details of the distribution of the new voters are included in your folders for this meeting.

    “The soft copy has already been uploaded to the Commission’s website and social media platforms,’’ he said.

    He said that INEC was working to ensure the completion of printing of remaining PVCs for new voters as well as those that applied for transfer or the replacement of their lost or damaged cards.

    Yakubu said that in the coming days, INEC would inform Nigerians of its detailed plans to ensure a seamless collection of the PVCs.

    He said that INEC had so far successfully implemented nine of the 14 activities for the 2023 general election.

    He added that the commission was making a steady progress in other critical areas of preparations for the election.

    This according to Yakubu, includes the provision of sensitive and non-sensitive materials, the recruitment of staff and planning for the movement of personnel and materials for the election.

    “Only last week, we commenced the training of master trainers on election technology to ensure a seamless process.

    “Beginning from tomorrow, we will commence the same training at zonal level and subsequently train all the ad hoc staff for the 176,846 polling units nationwide,’’ he said.

    Yakubu said that incidence form would not be used in 2023 general election, saying there was no going back on the deployment of technology for the election.

    “On this note, let me once again reassure Nigerians that there is no going back on the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for voter accreditation.

    “There is no going back on the transmission of results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) in real-time on Election Day.

    “There will be no Incident Form that enables ineligible persons to vote using other people’s Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) during election.

    “We are committed to ensuring that the 2023 general election is transparent and credible, reflecting the will of the Nigerian people,’’ he said.

  • 2023 Election: INEC cautions political parties against violence

    2023 Election: INEC cautions political parties against violence

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has cautioned political parties and their supporters against violence, saying it could further complicate the security situation in the country.

    Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the Chairman, INEC said this at the Training of Master Trainers on Election Technology for the 2023 General Election on Tuesday in Abuja.

    Yakubu expressed sadness over recent clashes among party supporters in some states, describing it as worrisome.

    “Even as the commission is working hard to ensure a credible process in the forthcoming elections, reports of clashes among parties and their supporters in some states of the country during the ongoing electioneering campaign are worrisome.

    “So too is the reported denial of access to public facilities for parties and candidates in some states of the federation.

    “Let me caution parties and their supporters to focus on issues and steer clear of attacks on each other.

    “These are not only violations of the Electoral Act, 2022, but also negate the voluntary commitment by all political parties and candidates to the letter and spirit of the peace accord signed about three weeks ago under the auspices of the National Peace Committee (NPC),” he said.

    “Parties, candidates and their supporters should not by acts of commission or omission further complicate the prevailing security situation in the country.’’

    The chairman said that a peaceful electioneering campaign was critical to the conduct of peaceful and credible election.

    He said that INEC would continue to monitor the situation closely and would convene a meeting with leaders of political parties next week to discuss among other issues the imperative of peaceful campaigns and equal access to public facilities.

    “In the same vein, the commission will also meet with the security agencies under the auspices of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) next week,” he said.

  • Why we spend so much to conduct elections – INEC

    Why we spend so much to conduct elections – INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Friday gave an insight into why much funds went into the conduct of elections.

    Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the INEC Chairman, gave the insight while responding to questions at an interactive session with the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) tagged ‘The Editors’ Forum’ in Lagos.

    According to him, cost of logistics, highly-secured ballot papers, and allowances for personnel, among other reasons, are responsible for the huge funds used in conducting elections in Nigeria.

    “In France, the ballot paper is like an A4 sheet of paper, because it is unthinkable that anybody in France will snatch the ballot paper.

    “But here in Nigeria, we print ballots papers in currency quality and we entrust them to Central Bank of Nigeria.

    “The ballot papers will now be move with all the protocols and security according to the movement of the national currency, just to protect the process.

    “This is not going to be done cheaply. So, we pay for lack of trust in the system,” the INEC boss said.

    Yakubu, however, said that Nigeria’s elections were not the most expensive, if the entire cost was spread per head of the voting population, projected to be about 95 million.

    He said that the last elections conducted in Ghana, Kenya and Guinea-Bissau were more expensive, if the voters’ population was considered per capita in relation to the cost.

    “The cost in Nigeria, I think, is nine dollars per head (N4, 500) as against what happens in other countries. Ours is not even the most expensive.

    “The cost of elections in Nigeria in 2023 is N305 billion of the national budget of over N17 trillion.

    “The cost of elections is just 1.8 per cent, not even up to two per cent of the national budget.

    “If we remove the technology cost, 60 per cent of the cost of elections in Nigeria is spent on logistics and personnel allowances,” he said.

    According to him, the commission will engage no fewer than 1.4 million Nigerians for national and state elections as ad hoc staff who will have to be paid and transported to their various locations.

    “I am sure as we continue to build trust and confidence in the process, the cost of elections will come down considerably,” Yakubu said.

    On electronic voting, Yakubu said that the country was getting closer to achieving it, noting that it involved several processes.

    On vote buying, the INEC boss said that fighting the menace required the involvement of all stakeholders.

    He said that the commission had taken some steps to stem the tide and make it difficult.

    Yakubu reiterated that the commission was committed to electoral justice, reassuring Nigerians that rigging had been made difficult and impossible ahead of the 2023 elections.

    Yakubu said that the commission had started cleaning up of voters register, noting that credible elections start with a credible register of voters.

    The INEC chairman said that the commission was committed to improving on its delivery of elections.

    He, however, pointed out that the quality of elections is a direct reflection of the quality of the environment.

    “An election cannot be better than the environment in which it is conducted, which include the security situation, social, economic, political culture, national infrastructure among others.

    “It is simply amazing the way INEC officials get to some villages to conduct elections. Our elections cannot be better than the quality of our infrastructure,” he said.

    Yakubu said that there were about 161 days to the 2023 general elections, adding that Nigeria could make it work because the commission was committed to electoral justice.

    “We have introduced reforms that we believe have taken us out of Egypt and we will never go back,” he said.

    While stressing that INEC does not support media censorship, Yakubu called for balanced reporting.

    He said that the antidote to fake news was “greater openness and transparency”, which INEC was committed to.

    Earlier in his welcome address, Mr Mustapha Isah, the President of NGE, said that Nigerian journalists should be genuinely interested in deepening the democratic space.

    Isah said that they played a key role in the fight for the restoration of democracy in Nigeria.

    He said that it had become imperative for editors to thoroughly interrogate players in the democratic landscape.

    He listed some of these as political actors, candidates vying for elective positions, the electoral umpire, the security agencies, and all other groups involved in monitoring elections.

    “This forum is designed to provide the actors an opportunity to address editors about their preparations for the 2023 general elections.

    “Editors will also use this forum to seek clarifications on different issues and ask critical questions on matters relating to the elections.

    “This is in line with our resolve to bring the right information to the electorate ahead of the elections,” he said.

    The forum had editors from various media organisations in attendance.

  • The era of election manipulation is over – INEC

    The era of election manipulation is over – INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that the era of election results manipulations are over in the country.

    The electoral body added that it has blocked all avenues by that elections can be manipulated.

    Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman, INEC said this at a Stakeholder Roundtable on Election Result Management and the Launch of the Election Results Analysis Dashboard (ERAD) Report on Electronic Transmission of Results organized by Yiaga Africa in Abuja on Friday.

    Yakubu noted that the new Electoral Act has helped INEC in recording a major success, adding that the body has adopted electronic means for both accreditations and results in management and this made it a legal requirement for INEC to transmit results electronically.

    According to him, the most critical technological tools introduced by the commission in recent times are the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal adding that while the former was a device, the latter was a web portal.

    He said the  BVAS was used for two principal purposes; to identify and accredit voters using two biometric modes: fingerprint and facial recognition, as well as to capture and uploading the image of the Polling Unit result form (Form EC8A), to the IReV portal.

    “ Indeed, using the law, administrative measures, and technology, the commission has drastically tackled major problems in result management in Nigerian elections.

    “Among the top ten of such problems are falsification of scores at Polling Units, falsification of a number of accredited voters, collation of false results, mutilation of results, and computational errors.

    “Others are swapping of result sheets, forging result sheets, snatching, and destruction of result sheets, obtaining declaration and return involuntarily, making a declaration and return while result collation is still in progress, and poor recordkeeping.

    “It is clear that armed with an improved electoral act, administrative procedures, and requisite technology, the Commission has increased the transparency and confidence of the public in its election result management processes,” he said.

    Yakubu added:“ I can confidently say that the days of wanton manipulation of elections results are over; yet, the commission is not resting on its oars.”

    He said that starting with the Nasarawa Central State Constituency by-election election, the IReV has been deployed in 105 elections, involving 16,694,461 registered voters for five governorship, six Senatorial Districts, seven Federal Constituency, 18 State Constituency, six FCT Chairmanship, and 62 FCT Councillorship elections.

    He said that a total of 32,985 results were successfully uploaded, giving an upload success rate of 99.13 percent.

    “What this successful transmission of results demonstrates is that the concern about the capacity of the Commission to transmit results from all over the country may well be unfounded.’’

    He said that a total of 128,994 accounts have been opened by IReV users since it was launched two years ago August 2020.

    He said another technical concern for INEC was the repeated attempts to break through its cyber security system for the portal but it has always failed.

    Executive Director,Yiaga Africa,Samson Itodo,while presenting the ERAD Findings on Electronic Transmission of Election Results in the 2022 Ekiti and Osun Governorship Election, said there were four key roles for ERAD.

    According to Itodo, the Election Results Analysis Dashboard (ERAD) promotes transparency of election results management and support INEC by providing the public with access to election results from the polling unit in relative real-time.

    He added that it provided an independent audit and integrity test of INEC’s election results management system by tracking results from the polling units based on the commission’s own published results among others.

    He said that Yiaga Africa while monitoring elections observed some things and recommended some pathways for improving the transparency of election result management.

    “ INEC should invest in the training of polling unit officials, with a special focus on result transmission, ballot paper accounting as well as the capturing of polling unit results using the BVAS. It will address the capacity deficits resulting in to upload of incorrect or incomplete forms and blurry images.

    “ In addition to the transmission of polling unit level results, INEC should electronically transmit and publish the number of accredited voters on the IReV. This is in accordance with the Section 64(4) (5)(6) of the Electoral Act 2022.

    “ INEC should deepen the transparency of the collation process, the Form EC8B, Ward collation result sheet should be uploaded on the IReV portal at the close of collation at the ward level. It will facilitate monitoring and tracking of the results collation process.

    “INEC should increase the Amazon Web Services (AWS) resources for storing the form EC8A or polling unit results in the AWS server. Increasing the bandwidth, RAM size and storage capacity of the server to improve the processing power of the IReV portal and ensure public access to results uploaded on the portal,” he said.