2023 election: Reps probe INEC over credibility, transparency of electoral processes

The House of Representatives, on Wednesday, unveiled plans to investigate the activities of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) process of voter’s registration including alleged constraints on timely procurement/production of voter’s cards although the year to the 2023 elections.

The resolution was passed sequel to the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon Mark Gbillah, who underscored the need to probe allegations bothering on INEC’s Technical Team who allegedly tamper with the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) machine.

In his lead debate, Hon Gbillah expressed the need for the House intervention over concerns raised by Citizens on the INEC’s shortcomings in the conduct of recent off-season elections in Ekiti and Osun states regardless of the added focus, attention and resources and the consequent fear about its ability to conduct free and fair elections in the forthcoming 2023 elections when voting will be required to take place simultaneously across the country.

He said: “The House notes that these concerns include INEC insistence on terminating the ongoing voters’ registration exercise regardless of the millions of Nigerians who will be disenfranchised citing the need to produce voters cards on time, allegations that result from polling units are not actually transmitted directly to INEC’S central server in Abuja as claimed by INEC but are collated on computer’s bye-collation officers at the ward levels across the country who are the ones who transmit the results from their systems to the central server and are able to manipulate the votes cast for each candidate at that level but not the number of accredited voters.

“The House also notes other concerns about INEC’s lack of entrenched due process in decision making which sees it make and change guidelines and regulations arbitrarily to the benefit of certain political parties and sometimes in conflict with provisions of the 2022 Electoral Act.

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“Other allegations include the ability to tamper with the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) machine by INEC’S technical team who are usually deployed across the country to monitor the functioning of the machines.

“The House is worried about the recent unguarded and erroneous interpretation of certain provisions of the 2022 Electoral Act by the INEC Resident Electoral Officer (REC) in Akwa Ibom State Mr Mike Igini who while referring to Section 115(d) of the 2022 Electoral Act said amongst several other things that politicians will go to jail for buying more than one nomination form claiming, ‘we are preventing them from being candidates for prison and they are calling our names everywhere’ implying INEC is making decisions about politicians and the electoral process based on flawed interpretation of the Act without recourse to the National Assembly or a court of competent jurisdiction for proper interpretation.

“The House is also worried as originators and custodians of the 2022 Electoral Act about the controversy Mr Igini’s comments have generated across the country and the potential this has to unnecessarily heat up the polity and instigate frivolous and unwarranted litigation that can disrupt the smooth conduct of the forthcoming elections.”

To this end, the House mandated the Committee on Electoral Matters to investigate INEC’s process of voter’s registration including alleged constraints on timely procurement/production of voter’s cards although the year to the 2023 elections.

The Committee is also expected to investigate the Commission’s voting process from accreditation to transmission of results including a practical demonstration to the Nigerian public to ascertain the existence of a central INEC server, the transmission of results from polling units, the existence of e-collation officers and the ability to manipulate voting results at that level, ability or not to manipulate the BVAS machine.

In the same vein, the lawmakers are to ensure proper interpretation of provisions of section 115(d) and other provisions of the 2022 Electoral Act by INEC, its National Commissioners, RECs and other staff including the status of legal advice available within the Commission to guide the implementation of the Act and determine whether any infractions have been committed by Mr Mike Igini or any other INEC staff in their interpretation and implementation of the Act;

The House also mandated the Committee to investigate the existing due process in decision making by INEC with regards to guidelines, regulations and whether any of such decisions conflict with the provisions of the Act. Report back within eight weeks for further legislative action.

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2023 election: Reps probe INEC over credibility, transparency of electoral processes

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2023 election: Reps probe INEC over credibility, transparency of electoral processes