BY VICTOR BUORO – Fresh from his confirmation by the Senate, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan (SAN), says the Commission’s Results Viewing Portal (IReV) will undergo comprehensive audit to identify and address the technical issues that bedevilled the 2023 electoral process.
This is as he assured the lawmakers that beyond technology reforms, steps would be taken to strengthen INEC’s institutional independence in line with constitutional provisions.
Prof Amupitan, who appeared before the Senate for screening on Thursday, said the audit would help determine the nature of the glitches that affected the real-time transmission of results, as well as assess the current capacity of INEC’s electoral technology systems.
He said arising from the need to address issues that eroded public confidence in the 2023 elections’ outcome, “I have to audit the system, if I’m given the opportunity, to see what is actually wrong and whether we have what it takes as it is now.”
According to him, given that the IReV portal, along with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), was introduced to enhance the transparency and integrity of elections, efforts should be made towards handling the technical challenges that raised concerns about the system’s effectiveness.
However, the INEC boss explained that while the IReV was designed as a safeguard for comparison and verification, it was never intended to replace manual collation of results.
He said lack of proper communication of this distinction led to the misunderstanding that trailed the use of the portal during the elections.
Further making reference to existing judicial proclamation on the issues, Prof Amupitan said, “The Supreme Court has clarified that IReV is not an electronic collation system. However, it was meant to provide checks and balances to enhance credibility. Unfortunately, this was not properly explained before the election”
Also pledging that trust and ethical conduct would be the cornerstone of his leadership, he said, “I think that trust is a major concern. We will work out an internal mechanism to try the behaviour of humans.
“I’m taking this position on trust, and my people must also appreciate that they hold their positions on trust. We will set up an ethical committee to review what has happened in the past because complaints have been made, yet no action has been taken. We will pursue every complaint and follow through.”
On the need for collaboration among relevant agencies, including the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), and service providers, Prof Amupitan said such robust engagement is required to improve the reliability of election technologies.
“It is not just INEC’s responsibility. Other institutions that support the process must also work together to ensure that Nigerians can trust the technology we deploy,” he added.
Amupitan acknowledged that the Commission’s autonomy has often been limited by delayed release of funds and a lack of clarity regarding its constitutional powers.
“Although the law provides that funds should be released a year before elections, in practice, this has not always been done on time. This creates financial constraints for the commission,” he said.
Promising to review existing laws and administrative frameworks to identify and address factors affecting INEC’s independence, the Professor of Law said, “We will look at the spirit and letter of the Constitution, as well as the laws made by the National Assembly, to ensure that INEC truly operates as an independent body.
“We shall audit the system and deal with any challenges accordingly.”
