INEC broke Nigerians’ trust with failure to e-transmit results – Laolu Akande

Laolu Akande, a former spokesperson for ex-Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, expressed that the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) failure to electronically transmit the results of the last general elections ‘shattered’ the trust of Nigerians in the body.

During an appearance on Channels TV’s Politics Today on Friday, Akande emphasized that despite INEC’s assurances regarding the electronic transmission of results, it ultimately did not upload election results on the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IREV).

He remarked, “It is crucial to acknowledge a fact we cannot ignore. INEC emerged from this election with significant damage to its reputation. There’s no denying that fact. INEC itself set the standard and established the guidelines. INEC made a commitment to the Nigerian people that this is how the election results would be declared.”

Akande went on to highlight that, although INEC did not violate the law in accordance with the judgment delivered by the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC), the Nigerian people now have a diminished level of trust in the institution.

He elaborated, “Now, when it was time for INEC to adhere to its own guidelines—for certain reasons, which we can discuss—INEC failed to fulfil its promise. Even though, legally speaking, INEC may not have contravened the law, INEC has broken the trust of the Nigerian people.”

He also noted that this situation presents a challenge to the political legitimacy of individuals who emerged from the electoral process.

It’s worth recalling that a five-member panel, led by Justice Haruna Tsammani, ruled on Wednesday that the Electoral Act of 2022 does not include a mandatory provision for the electronic transmission of election results.