INEC says IReV portal is not for collating or transmitting results

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reiterated that its Result Viewing Portal (IReV) is not a result collection or transmission system but a tool to enhance election transparency.

At a two-day workshop for journalists in Akwanga, Nasarawa State, on Monday, the INEC Director of ICT, Paul Omokore, reiterated that the Result Viewing Portal (IReV) is not a system for collating or transmitting results but a tool to enhance election transparency.

He said that the IReV portal enables the public to view the images of Form EC8A, which show the results of polling units (PUs), as captured and uploaded by the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).

He clarified that the IReV portal does not add up or collect the results but only displays the forms that have been signed and stamped by the presiding officers at the PUs.

He cautioned journalists and members of the public not to mistake the uploading of PU results to the IReV portal with electronic transmission of results, which is still done manually from the PUs to the collation centres.

He said that the IReV portal was launched to improve the openness and credibility of elections, while the BVAS was used to ensure one-person, one-vote.

He said that INEC was dedicated to using technology to enhance the electoral process while also tackling the challenges that may emerge.

He encouraged journalists to maintain accuracy and transparency in reporting elections and to verify any information before publishing it.

The workshop was organised by INEC in partnership with Partners for Electoral Reform, a civil society organisation, ahead of the governorship elections in Bayelsa, Kogi, and Imo states slated for November 11.