According to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC’s results viewing portal is intended to improve election transparency and is not a result collation or transmission mechanism.
The clarification was provided by INEC Director of ICT, Paul Omokore, during his presentation titled “The role of BVAS, IReV for Bayelsa, Kogi, and Imo Governorship elections” on Monday at a two-day capacity workshop for journalists in Akwanga, Nasarawa State.
Omokore warned journalists and the general public not to confuse the uploading of PU results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) with electronic transmission of results.
INEC Uploads 83% Of Election Results – IReV
According to him, the INEC Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) is simply used to upload images of PUs results on form EC8A to IReV, which does not imply electronic transfer of results.
“Form EC8A is the result that we collated at the PUs. We use BVAS to snap this form and upload the same thing to the IReV portal for public viewing.
“This is not a collation system. It does not tally a system. What it does is to snap the EC8A which is the result at the polling unit and upload the same to the public view. That is all.
“I know that 70 per cent of the populace think that the others have collated the figures. No.
“All what it does is snapping the EC8A that the presiding officers have collated, all the scores of the parties, signed and stamped and then sends this same picture to the IReV for public viewing. That is all. So it is not a collation system,” he said.
Obi-Datti Campaign Warns INEC Over Plan To Tamper With IRev
Omokore stated that since the beginning of elections in Nigeria, results have been manually sent from polling stations to collation centres.
He stated that the use of technology has proven to be an excellent instrument for delivering free, fair, and legitimate elections.
While obstacles were imminent, he stated that INEC has made special steps to ensure that they were minimised.
“The role of BVAS is to ensure one-person-one-vote.
“The role of the IReV Portal is to improve the openness and credibility of our elections,” he said.
In his lecture titled “Ethical Dilemma in Election Reporting: Navigating Bias, Balance, and Promoting Transparency,” Ezenwa Nwagwu, who is also the Chairman of Partners for Electoral Reform, advised journalists to uphold truth reporting.
Tribunal: Only Presidential Election Results Refuse To Upload On IREV – INEC
He stated that the media’s independence, unbiasedness, and accuracy are the most important problems in election reporting.
“Accurate and transparent reporting is the only cure for fake news, which is the responsibility of the media,” Nwagu said.
He asked the media to always analyse the reasons behind some news being reported by those with biassed thoughts about the political process and balance it with legal rules.
Follow us on Facebook
Post Disclaimer
The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author and forum participants on this website do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of Anaedo Online or official policies of the Anaedo Online.