Dismissing claims of discrepancies in the 2023 presidential election results, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) responded to allegations made by the Centre for Collaborative Investigative Journalism (CCIJ).
The CCIJ expressed concerns about irregularities misreported during the collation process, questioning the integrity of the figures announced by INEC.
In a letter dated August 7, 2024, the CCIJ highlighted differences between live broadcast results during collation and the figures filed on INEC’s Result Viewing Portal by electoral officials.
The CCIJ pointed out discrepancies in the reported cancellations in polling units and the number of affected registered voters, raising questions about the consistency in the data provided by INEC.
INEC’s Chief Press Secretary, Rotimi Oyekanmi, rebuffed the allegations, affirming the accuracy of the commission’s announced results at the National Collation Centre and the alignment with official reports.
Emphasizing the transparency of the process, Oyekanmi reiterated that the publicly declared figures were in line with the records filed by polling officials, and the collation followed established protocols with opportunities for party agents to raise objections.
Regarding specific video clips cited by the CCIJ, Oyekanmi clarified that the interactions between State Returning Officers and the INEC Chairman during the collation process adhered to standard procedures without contradictions or objections from party agents.
INEC expressed readiness to provide further clarification but highlighted the need for specific information from CCIJ to address concerns accurately, pointing out the vast scale of polling units and wards involved in the election.
Oyekanmi invited the group to provide detailed information for a comprehensive review, emphasizing the adherence to electoral laws and procedures in handling result cancellations or disputes.
He underscored the official nature of the 2023 presidential election results announced at the National Collation Centre, countering claims of inconsistencies in the figures presented by State Returning Officers.