Former INEC Chairman Attahiru Jega Urges Probe into iREV Failure During 2023 Elections
Former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, has called for a thorough investigation into the malfunction of the result viewing portal (IReV) during the 2023 elections.
Jega made this call during an interview on national television, expressing concern over the failure of the IReV system during the presidential elections on February 25, 2023. The portal's difficulties in promptly uploading election results violated section 60 of the Electoral Act 2022, leading to manual collation and delayed announcements, subsequently triggering protests from political parties.
Blaming desperate politicians for potential interference, Jega emphasized the need for INEC to provide detailed information about the IReV malfunction. He went further to suggest a comprehensive public inquiry into the matter to unveil the circumstances surrounding the failure.
Jega voiced his suspicion that despite INEC's efforts, some unscrupulous politicians may have tampered with the IReV system, leading to its failure. He acknowledged the articulate manner in which the INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, had initially spoken about the IReV but stressed the importance of a transparent investigation.
"If you ask my opinion, I feel very strongly that INEC needs to tell us more about what happened with the IReV. In fact, at one point, I was even calling for a thorough public inquiry about what happened with regards to IReV," Jega remarked.
Highlighting the potential infiltration by reckless politicians, Jega suggested that INEC should take the blame for the failure of the IReV system, and after resolving court cases, he urged the commission to conduct a thorough investigation into the issues surrounding IReV.
In a related context, Professor Jega shared his assessment of the 2023 general elections, stating that they were "credible in many substantial aspects." However, he acknowledged challenges in certain areas and attributed them to the direct involvement of politicians, emphasizing the need for accountability in addressing those challenges.