Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Ibrahim Ramalan
Published on 2024-02-23 21:20:03
INEC, the Independent National Electoral Commission, has released a comprehensive report on the 2023 General Election, stating that the glitch experienced in uploading the result of the presidential election to its results viewing portal did not affect the credibility of the election. The report, released in Abuja, highlighted that the 2023 general election was generally peaceful and orderly nationwide.
One of the key challenges identified in the report was the failure to upload Polling Unit (PU) results of the presidential election to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal in real-time at the close of polls on Saturday, February 25, 2023. The IReV portal was introduced as a significant innovation prior to the 2023 general election to promote the integrity and transparency of the electoral process. It displays images of the original Polling Unit result sheets as recorded in Form EC8A.
While the system had been successfully used in previous elections to improve public confidence in the Commission’s result management process, the challenge of uploading the PU results of the presidential election was unique. Reports of difficulties with uploading the presidential election result sheets began to surface across the country, prompting immediate engagement by the Commission to address the issue.
The report detailed that the problem stemmed from a configuration issue in mapping the presidential election results to the participating Polling Units within the system. This resulted in internal server errors and hindered the upload process. INEC quickly identified the source of the problem and deployed software updates, known as “Hotfixes,” to resolve the issue.
Despite the delay in uploading the presidential election results to the IReV portal, the credibility of the election was not compromised. Political party agents and security agencies had access to physical copies of the polling unit results, and the results were also displayed at polling units for scrutiny by voters. The eventual upload of the results allowed for comparison with the copies displayed at polling units and given to party agents and officials.
The report also highlighted the diverse outcome of the 2023 general election in terms of party representation in executive and legislative positions nationwide. Four political parties produced state governors, seven secured senatorial seats, eight won federal constituencies, and nine won state seats. An analysis of the performance of the leading political parties across the country affirmed this diversity.
The report included a detailed breakdown of the performance of the leading parties, such as the APC, LP, PDP, and NNPP, in the presidential election across the six geopolitical zones. The data showed the percentage of votes each party received in each zone, demonstrating the electoral integrity of both the process and outcome.
Overall, despite the challenges faced in uploading the presidential election results to the IReV portal, the 2023 general election was deemed credible and successful by INEC. The report emphasized the Commission’s commitment to improving the electoral process and ensuring transparency and integrity in future elections. Additional measures have been put in place to prevent similar issues from arising in future elections, underscoring INEC’s dedication to upholding democracy in Nigeria.
Read the original article on DailyNigerian.com
