Former INEC Boss Attahiru Jega Advocates for Probe Into iREV’s Failure During 2023 Polls.
FCT, Abuja – Professor Attahiru Jega, the former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has expressed concerns over the malfunction of the result viewing portal (IReV) during the 2023 elections and has called for a thorough investigation into the matter.
Jega made this assertion on Friday, January 26, during an interview on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande on Channels Television.
Attahiru Jega and IRev.
The glitch in the IReV system occurred on February 25, 2023, when the commission faced challenges in promptly uploading presidential election results on the portal, thereby violating section 60 of the Electoral Act 2022.
The subsequent manual collation of results and the delayed announcement of winners led to protests from various political parties.
Attahiru Jega, speaking on the matter, hinted that desperate politicians might have tampered with the IReV system. He suggested that despite INEC’s efforts, interference from politicians within the IReV system could not be ruled out.
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As quoted by The Cable, Jega stated, “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.
I feel that something has happened, that in spite of the confidence and the very articulate manner the INEC chairman (Mahmood Yakubu) had spoken about the IReV, it then failed.
I believe that some of our reckless politicians may have infiltrated it and truncated it, but INEC will take the blame for that.”
Emphasizing the need for a comprehensive investigation after resolving court cases related to the issue, Jega underscored the importance of understanding the root causes of the IReV malfunction.
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In a separate report, Prof. Jega shared his assessment of the 2023 general elections, describing them as “credible in many substantial aspects.” However, he acknowledged that challenges persisted, particularly in areas where politicians played a direct role.
As the fallout from the IReV malfunction unfolds, it remains to be seen how INEC will respond to the call for a detailed inquiry and address the concerns raised by Attahiru Jega.
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