The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed that the technical glitches experienced on its result viewing portal (IReV) during the general election are due to scaling up the platform to manage a nationwide poll.
According to a statement by INEC national commissioner Festus Okoye on Sunday, the commission expressed regret over the setbacks experienced on the IReV, which has been “relatively slow and unsteady” since the commencement of the election.
Although some polling units had concluded voting on Saturday, the IReV was inactive for several hours, prompting concerns from civil society organisations, observer groups, and voters.
However, the commission said that the technical challenges were not due to any intrusion or sabotage of its systems, adding that the IReV remains secure. INEC further assured Nigerians that results from polling units are safe on both the bimodal voter accreditation system (BVAS) and the IReV portal.
“These results cannot be tampered with, and any discrepancy between them and the physical results used in collation will be thoroughly investigated and remediated, in line with Section 65 of the Electoral Act 2022,” the statement reads.
The commission also disclosed that its technical team is working assiduously to solve all outstanding problems, and users of the IReV have noticed improvements since the previous night.
While responding to concerns from the public, INEC implored Nigerians to avoid making statements or taking actions that could incite tension or promote disaffection towards the commission.
The electoral body expressed regret over the distress caused to candidates, political parties, and voters due to the technical challenges.
“The Commission takes full responsibility for the problems and regrets the distress that they have caused the candidates, political parties, and the electorate,” the statement reads.
