ABUJA – The Electoral Act 2022 made no provision for electronic transmission of election results, the Presidential Election Petitions Court ruled on Wednesday.
Justice Haruna Tsammani, who led a five-man panel of Judges, noted that Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS ) is the only technological device that was mandatory for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to use for the 2023 election.
He contended that issue of non-compliance with the Electoral Act and INEC Regulations and Guidelines does not arise since there is nothing in the regulation to show that the BVAS must electronically transmit polling units results.
The INEC’s Results Viewing Portal (IReV), the Tribunal posited, is not a collation system, citing judgment in the case of Oyetola Vs INEC.
“There is no provision for the electronic transmission of election results in the Electoral Act 2022,” says Justice Tsammani. “It is at best optional.”
Sundiata Post recalls that not satisfied with the INEC declaration of Tinubu as the winner of the 2023 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar of PDP, Peter Obi of LP and APM had approached the Tribunal, seeking the annulment of Tinubu’s victory, citing some anomalies in the election especially INEC “failure” to upload election results real time on its much publicized “Results Viewing Portal (IReV) in line with the provision of Section 60 of the Electoral Act 2022.
