INEC: We’ll Take Drastic Measures Against Proven Irregularities

•Condemns invasion of INEC office in Obingwa by thugs

•Explains why all presidential poll results weren’t uploaded on IReV

INEC assured Nigerians that it was committed to the sanctity of the electoral process and would not hesitate to take drastic measures against proven irregularities.

The commission also cleared that allegations of voter inducement, harassment, and manipulation of results would be reviewed and addressed.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, disclosed these yesterday in Abuja while addressing a press conference.

Okoye said as the 2023 general election was approaching its concluding stages, the commission promised Nigerians that there would be improved processes during the governorship and state Assembly elections held last Saturday. He said in keeping with this promise, INEC held meetings with its Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs), service providers, and the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) to review processes and procedures to ensure more optimal delivery of personnel and materials to various locations for the election to facilitate the opening of the polling units on time. He added that a majority of the polling units nationwide opened on schedule and citizens were attended to promptly.

Similarly, Okoye explained that there was improved voter authentication using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), while the uploading of polling unit results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) witnessed a remarkable improvement.

He said the commission left no stone unturned as far as the processes and procedures under its control were concerned.

Okoye stated, “However, for difficult and unforeseen circumstances outside the commission’s control, we did our best to respond, especially where processes were disrupted by actors over whom we have little or no control. Such diabolical behaviour did not only affect citizens but also impacted on the commission’s officials and processes.”

He lamented that INEC staff, both regular and ad hoc, were victims of violence, with some staff abducted, harassed, intimidated, hospitalised and in one case, killed. He said where the commission could not deploy to enable citizens to vote, it took the decision to remobilise to such places to enable citizens exercise their franchise.