The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has clarified that its results viewing portal is designed to enhance election transparency and is not a result collation or transmission system. Paul Omokore, the INEC Director of ICT, explained that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) is utilized to upload pictures of polling units’ results on form EC8A to the IReV portal for public viewing. He emphasized that this process does not constitute electronic transmission of results.
Addressing a two-day capacity workshop for journalists in Akwanga, Nasarawa State, Omokore urged the public not to misconstrue the purpose of the portal, clarifying that it is not a collating system but a tool to display the EC8A form, which contains results collected at polling units. He emphasized that the traditional manual transmission of results from polling units to collation centers has been maintained.
Omokore highlighted the role of technology in promoting free, fair, and credible elections, acknowledging the challenges and asserting that INEC is working to mitigate them. He reiterated that BVAS aims to ensure “one person, one vote,” while the IReV portal enhances openness and credibility in elections.
Ezenwa Nwagwu, the chairman of Partners for Electoral Reform, delivered a lecture on ethical considerations in election reporting, emphasizing the importance of accuracy, independence, and unbiased reporting by the media. He stressed that accurate and transparent reporting is crucial to combatting fake news and called on journalists to investigate the motives behind biased news on the electoral process and balance their reporting with legal provisions.
