The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that the results of the Kogi State governorship election on November 11 will be sent electronically straight from polling units to its server.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Kogi, Prof. Gabriel Longpet, disclosed this at a two-day media roundtable Engagement on the Kogi election Organized by the Independent Press Center, IPC in Abuja.
Prof. Longpet said the electronic transmission of the results will help to eliminate rigging, electoral fraud and other irregularities and to ensure the enthronement of credibility and transparency in the electoral process.
He also assured that the issues of insecurity that characterised the 2019 governorship election have been critically analysed and dealt with, urging Kogi electorates to come out and vote as the election will be volatile free.
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“Of course, we will be transmitting the Kogi election electronically. A lot of infractions do happen between the polling units and the collation centre; the transmission of the results through electronic methods will definitely prevent such issues of infractions from occurring.
“By the electoral acts, any results figures on form EC8A that appeared mutilated cannot be allowed. If results are transmitted electronically to the IREV, there will be no need for results to be hijacked in the first place, mutilated or changed.”
The state REC reiterated that the 2023 Kogi guber poll ‘will be by the poll and not by the gun”, assuring that the commission will do everything to ensure that votes count and that those who will emerge will emerge through popular votes.
“We have only one message and the message is that you come out to exercise your franchise,” he said.