Amupitan: INEC can’t guarantee perfect election in 2027

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, has said the commission cannot guarantee 100 percent perfect election in 2027 as far as electronic transmission of results is concerned.

Amupitan stated this during a Citizens’ Townhall Meeting organized by Civil Society Network on Election Integrity, which was held at Abuja Continental Hotel, on Sunday.

According to him, the 2027 presidential election will be the best in the history of Nigeria.

Civil organizations, academics and election observers as well as members of the public converged at the meeting to discuss election related matters.

Amupitan, however, noted that Nigeria needs a simple language legislation where it will be possible for every Nigerian to understand and appreciate the provisions of every section of Electoral Act 2026.

According to him, during the FCT area council elections the results came out on time in five area councils, but in Kuje the result did not come out on time in one of the wards until the following day.

Amupitan added that successful election should be determined based on perfection of logistics.

Amupitan said, “Number one, if you want to measure whether an election is successful, you have to determine whether the election started as advertised. And we advertised the election for 8.30. So if we’re able to start the election at 8.30.

“Number two, if the election is peaceful; number three, if we’re able to manage the result very well, that is result management, and then declaration of results, then you can say you have a successful election.

“As a regulatory body, we were determined to achieve all this.

“But nonetheless, we have to admit that there was some logistics issues, some were purely human, which we are trying to address. And let me just appeal to Nigerians, because I have noticed now that what Nigerians desire is a perfect election. And I will strive as much as possible to give this country the best election.

“However, we may not be able to achieve a 100% perfect election for now. But as far as electronic transmission of results is concerned, I said it before FCT Area Council that we have the capacity to transmit the results. And that we’re going to transmit the results.

“The only concern was real time. What is real time? For instance, if you go, you use your app to make a transfer from your account. Even in Abuja town, you are transferring 50,000 to Mr. B, and from your app, the amount has gone.

“But the person may not receive the alert until another 30 minutes, another hour, or even in the evening. So those are some of the things. And when you say it is real time, as soon as it is done, it must be received.

“So result management and logistics are two basic issues that, from our own end, we are trying to see how best we are able to manage it very well, so as to enhance the transparency and credibility of the system.

“Glitch is eliminated. The glitch, by God’s grace, will not surface in Nigeria and when I even look at the provision to Section 63 of the Electoral Act, during the last FCT election, apart from that delay, we didn’t have any transmission failure, meaning that it is just a provision, a safety if it fails. And during my tenure, it will never fail. That is the determination.

“Even if it fails, the result must be transmitted. But the only problem is if it fails to do real-time transmission, as we had in that ward.

“That is the major problem. Now, talking, addressing about the glitch, election now, anyway, is about technology. But before you deploy any technology, it is important for you to test that technology very well.

“So my own audit of the 2023 election was that while the device was tested within the states, for instance Osun election, Ekiti election, however, when it came to the federal election, especially the presidential election that now became interstate, it was not properly tested.

“So one of the things we are trying to do before the election is to ensure that this transmission across the state must not fail.

“By the grace of God, election of 2027 will be the best election that Nigerians will have. Because Nigerians of 2023 is different from what you have in 2027. People are much more aware.”