The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has announced that the results of the 2023 general elections will be collated manually despite the adoption of electronic transmission of results.
Speaking on the matter, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, disclosed that the Electoral Act explicitly detailed how collation of results would be done adding that the commission will still transmit results to its result-viewing portal.
Okoye said Sections 60 and 62 of the Electoral Act govern post-election procedure and collation of election results.
Section 60(1) of the Act according to him provides that the presiding officer shall, after counting the votes at a polling unit, enter the votes scored by each candidate in a form to be prescribed by the commission.
While Section 60(5) of the Act makes it mandatory for the presiding officer to transfer the results, including the total number of accredited voters and the results of the ballot in a manner prescribed by the commission.
He explained further that the presiding officer shall after recording and announcing the results deliver the same along with election materials under security and accompanied by the candidates or their polling agents, where available to such person as may be prescribed by the commission.
He added that if disputes arise from the collated results, the returning officer will use the results transmitted directly from the polling unit and the original of the disputed collated result to determine correctness.
(POLITICSNIGERIA)
