Laolu Akande, former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s aide, has expressed his belief that the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) inability to electronically transmit results of the presidential and National Assembly polls has eroded Nigerians’ trust in the agency.
While INEC had previously announced its plan to transmit polling unit results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) for the February 2023 elections, this did not occur during the presidential and National Assembly elections. Despite criticism from Nigerians, the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal (PEPT) ruled that INEC has the discretion to determine how to transmit election results.
In response to this development, Akande stated that INEC’s failure to e-transmit results has significantly reduced the commission’s trustworthiness among Nigerians. He emphasized that INEC had set the standard, determined the guidelines, and made commitments to the people regarding result declaration.
Akande pointed out that the loss of trust in INEC affects not only the commission’s integrity but also raises legitimacy questions for those who were declared winners in the elections. He concluded that this situation has led to cynicism and distrust among the public regarding the election outcomes.
The inability to fulfill its stated guidelines on e-transmission has resulted in a loss of trust in INEC’s ability to conduct transparent and credible elections, according to Akande.
