2019: INEC in dilemma over electronic transmission of results

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been noticeably consistent with controversies over its major policies in the administration of the 2019 elections. The INEC recently was reported to have adopted the electronic transmission of elections results in the February and March elections.

However, INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, at the Commission’s quarterly meeting with the media on Tuesday in Abuja said it would only do a nationwide pilot electronic transmission (e-collation) of results in the forthcoming general elections.

He explained that the Commission requires an enabling law to carry out full electronic transmission of results of the elections in 2019.

The INEC Chairman had declared: “The Commission is also aware of the interest expressed by the media to learn more about the commission’s electronic results transmission process, including its back end processes.

“This meeting will include a presentation on the pilot we carried out in some of the off-season elections conducted by the Commission.”

He appealed to media organisations to sensitise registered voters who have not collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to do so, in order for them to be able to vote in the forthcoming general elections.

He re-emphasised that the commission would not create additional polling units for 2019 elections, other than units created for the 2015 general elections.

“No new polling unit has been created and none will be created before the 2019 general elections,” he said.

The INEC chairman appealed to the media to partner with INEC in tackling the worrisome issue of vote buying which the commission had been working to address.

“We appeal to the media to continue to partner with the Commission by making information available to us while we work with the security agencies to deal with the violators of our electoral laws.

“These include those who may be trying to compromise our staff responsible for making the PVCs available for collection by legitimate voters.

“We understand that some actors have been going round hunting for our staff responsible for the distribution of PVCs. We are aware of this and we are ahead of them,” he said.