INEC Defends Manual Collation of Results in Response to APP's Challenge of Presidential Election Result

 The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of Nigeria has responded to accusations that it did not follow the Electoral Act 2022 and its own guidelines on the mode of collation of results during the last presidential election. The response came after the Action Peoples Party (APP) challenged the election results and the declaration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Tinubu, as the winner of the election.

INEC, through one of its lawyers, Abubakar Mahmoud, insisted that it conducted free and fair polls on February 25 and that the election was in compliance with the constitution, the Electoral Act 2022, and other relevant laws and guidelines. INEC also dismissed the APP's argument that results collation was to be done electronically, stating that the prescribed mode of collation was manual collation of various forms.

The electoral body further denied allegations that its officials doctored results to favour a particular political party's candidate or that there was over-voting. It stated that its online result viewing portal became erratic at the point of collation and that members of its Information and Communications Technology (ICT) team were called in to rectify the problem, which was why the presidential results were not immediately uploaded.

INEC has promised to tender in evidence the report of its ICT department during the tribunal hearing with two witnesses who are INEC officials for further clarity. The dates for hearing of the five petitions received from various political parties are yet to be fixed by the Presidential Election Petitions Court (PEPC).

In summary, INEC has defended itself against allegations of non-compliance with electoral laws and guidelines during the last presidential election in Nigeria. The APP had challenged the election results and accused INEC of breaching its own laws and guidelines. However, INEC insists that it conducted a free, fair, and credible election in compliance with the Electoral Act 2022 and other relevant laws and guidelines.