JUST-IN: INEC Explains Result Viewing Portal Distress, Says Glitches Not Sabotage

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has regretted the challenges with the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV), saying the Commission takes full responsibility for the problems and regrets the distress that they have caused the candidates, political parties, and the electorate.

The Commission said the problem was totally due to technical hitches related to scaling up the IReV from a platform for managing off-season, State elections, to one for managing nationwide general elections.

National commissioner and chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, said it was not unusual for glitches to occur and be corrected in such situations.

Consequently, he said the Commission wished to assure Nigerians that the challenges were not due to any intrusion or sabotage of INEC systems and that the IReV remains well-secured.

The statement reads in part: “The Commission is aware of challenges with the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV).

“Unlike in off-season elections where the portal was used, it has been relatively slow and unsteady. The Commission regrets this setback, especially because of the importance of IReV in our results management process.”

He noted that the Commission’s technical team was working assiduously to solve all the outstanding problems, and users of the IReV would have noticed improvements since last night.

“We also wish to assure Nigerians that results from the Polling Units, copies of which were issued to political parties, are safe on both the BVAS and the IReV portal,” he said.

He noted that election results cannot be tampered with and any discrepancy between them and the physical results used in collation will be thoroughly investigated and remediated, in line with Section 65 of the Electoral Act 2022.

According to him, “These results cannot be tampered with and any discrepancy between them and the physical results used in collation will be thoroughly investigated and remediated, in line with Section 65 of the Electoral Act 2022.

“While we fully appreciate the concerns of the public on this situation and welcome various suggestions that we have received from concerned Nigerians, it is important to avoid statements and actions that can heat up the polity at this time or promote disaffection towards the Commission.

“We take full responsibility for the problems and regret the distress that they have caused the candidates, political parties, and the electorate.”