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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recently caused avoidable confusion when it stated that the results of the 2023 elections would be manually collated. The statement credited to INEC’s National Commissioner in charge of Information and Voter Education, Mr. Festus Okoye, riled many Nigerians and civil society organisations.
While INEC has blamed the confusion on misrepresentation by the media, many Nigerians are worried over the resort to manual collation of election results, which they regard as an alibi to rig the next year’s election. Whatever is the case, it is better for the electoral agency to stick to the provisions of the extant electoral laws, especially the electronic upload and transmission of result.
Although INEC has clarified that it would transmit the 2023 election results electronically, many Nigerians would like the electoral agency to do away with the manual collation of results. According to Okoye, “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.”
He further explained: “There is a marked difference between the transfer/transmission of results and the collation of results. 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.” Also, “Sections 60 and 62 of the Electoral Act govern post-election procedure and collation of election results.”
Despite the clarification by INEC, the Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Yiaga Africa, and the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) have called on INEC to ensure a free and fair poll. The opposition against manual collation of election results stemmed from the fact that it had been used to rig elections in the country.
There are also fears that the manual collation of election results will be used as an excuse to rig the 2023 elections. Many stakeholders believe that manual collation of election results in the 2023 polls will retard the progress made by the electoral umpire in the off-season governorship elections in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun states. The electronic transmission/collation of election results has boosted the transparency of our recent elections.
The deployment of technology has, indeed, enhanced the conduct and the integrity of our elections. Electronic transmission of results will minimise corruption of the electoral process. Besides, it will reduce thuggery, snatching of result sheets, rigging and violence during elections.
It rekindles confidence in the electoral system and may likely increase voter turnout. If people believe that their votes will count, they will be willing to come out and vote. Before now, elections in the country were trailed with many infractions, including alteration of results and defacement of result sheets.
Apart from ensuring that the electronic transmission of result has come to stay, we urge INEC to do all with its powers to make the 2023 polls to be free, fair and credible. In all, the votes must count. Good enough, the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has promised to make the 2023 poll one of the best in the country. He should go ahead and do so.
At the same time, President Muhammadu Buhari has reiterated his wish to bequeath a credible electoral system in the country. Resorting to manual collation of election results will not guarantee a free and fair election. We believe that the electronic transmission of election results will significantly improve the 2023 polls. Moreover, the 2023 poll is one election that should not be rigged.
In fact, the forthcoming election is so important to be trifled with. Nigerians want a departure from an era of fraudulent elections. INEC and other stakeholders must ensure that we get the 2023 polls right. Nothing should be allowed to taint its credibility and transparency.
