The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has successfully uploaded over 95 per cent of the results from Saturday’s Anambra State governorship election to its Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
The commission reports a high rate of successful result transmission from the state’s 5,720 polling units, showcasing improved technological efficiency. However, the election was simultaneously marred by allegations of vote-buying from opposing political candidates, claims which INEC has officially dismissed as unverified rumors.
The Anambra governorship election is an off-cycle election and serves as a significant test for INEC’s commitment to delivering transparent and credible polls using technology. The IReV portal, established in 2020, allows the public to view scanned copies of polling unit results (Form EC 8A) in near real-time, which has generally improved public confidence.
Despite the commission’s technical success in uploading 5,472 of the 5,720 expected results, the election’s integrity has been challenged by prominent political figures. Candidates from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Labour Party (LP), alongside the incumbent Governor (from APGA), alleged instances of voter inducement, a recurring challenge in Nigerian electoral history.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner for Anambra State, Queen Agwu, defended the electoral process, stating:
Vote-buying is a very serious offence and a legislative matter. If you want to accuse someone, give us evidence. You can’t just go on television and say there’s vote-buying everywhere without mentioning one place
She further asserted that no confirmed cases of inducement were reported to the situation room by INEC officials or accredited observers.
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