The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday said it is stepping up its game to ensure that the 2023 electoral process or system is not undermined by disgruntled elements.
The Commission’s Head of Unit, Voter Education in Kano State, Ashiru Garba, made this known during a Train the Trainers Workshop organized by the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) for State Coordinators from across the northern region held in Kano.
Garba insisted that with the introduction of electronic accreditation, voting and transmission of election results, the era of election process manipulation is over.
He, however, said the commission was not relenting on it oars to put several steps in place ahead of those who seek to undermine the system.
He said, “apart from voting, results management is easily the most critical aspect of election administration. Indeed, for most politicians, it is perhaps more important than voting.
“The reason for this is not farfetched. While voting is an open and public activity, results management is usually run by a few election officials, mostly outside the glare of the public.
“Consequently, Politicians and indeed citizens, are often apprehensive that results could be simulated and may not reflect the votes cast.
“This feeling is deepened by past experiences in our system where actually massive doctoring and falsification of election results have occurred. Accordingly, it could be said that an election is as successful as its results management.
“Over the years, the Independent National Electoral Commission has realized that efficient and transparent result management is at the heart of public trust, peaceful elections, growth and consolidation of our democracy.
“The Commission has been resolute about this and invested enormous time, thinking and resources to improving the results management system.
“The commission continued on this direction and push for both the use of technology for accreditation and the electronic transmission of results and accreditation data.
“Thus, when the country was engaged in a fierce debate last year over the inclusion of electronic transmission of election results in the Electoral Act, the Commission issued a major position paper outlining the legal and technical issues involved and strongly recommended the adoption of electronic transmission of results.
“The breakthrough came with the new Electoral Act 2022 which empowered the Commission to adopt electronic means for both accreditation and results management.
“Indeed, the persistence of the Commission on these issues, particularly in the management of results are now well expressed in extant Legal Framework, Administrative Procedures and Technological innovations introduced in recent times by the Commission.
“The Electoral Act 2022 makes very progressive provisions in support of the Commission’s long standing quest to carefully increase the use of technology in election management.
“Not only does the Act empower the Commission to use the BVAS for accreditation of voters, but it also provides for the electronic transmission of results and accreditation data. Four cardinal provisions of the Act have contributed to improved results management.

“It is clear that armed with an improved Electoral Act, Administrative Procedures and Requisite technology, the Commission has increased the transparency and confidence of the public in its election processes.

“I can confidently say that the days of wanton manipulation of elections results are over. Yet, the Commission is not resting on its oars, knowing that it must remain several steps ahead of those who seek to undermine the system. The importance of IReV to transparency of results management is obvious.

“I call on all stakeholders to support the Commission to continue to work to improve IReV and the entire result management system towards the 2023 General Election, which will be far more extensive that what we have done so far”.