INEC acknowledges challenges with IReV, assures of swift resolution

By Chioma Obinagwam

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has owned up to the challenges currently witnessed by its Results Viewing Portal (IReV).

Confiance News gathered from a statement signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee at INEC, Festus Okoye, on Sunday.

He said, “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.

Confiance News further gathered that he disclosed that the problem is 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.

“It is indeed not unusual for glitches to occur and be corrected in such situations,” Okoye explained.

“Consequently, the Commission wishes to assure Nigerians that the challenges are not due to any intrusion or sabotage of our systems, and that the IReV remains well-secured.

He, however, assured Nigerians of swift resolution of the problem.

“Our technical team is 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. 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,” INEC assured.

He added that INEC fully appreciates the concerns of the public in the 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,” Okoye advised.

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