The Independent National Electoral Commission has clarified that results from Saturday’s Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections will not be transmitted in real time, accusing some media outlets of misquoting its chairman.
INEC’s Chief Press Secretary, Adedayo Oketola, issued the clarification in a statement on Wednesday, February 18, saying reports suggesting that the commission planned to transmit results as votes were being cast were inaccurate.
Oketola said the misrepresentation arose after INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan spoke to journalists during visits to polling preparation centres in Kuje, Gwagwalada, and Bwari Area Councils.
“We wish to clarify that at no point during his engagement with the press did the chairman use the phrase ‘real-time.’ Such a description is a misrepresentation of his technical explanation of the Commission’s processes,” Oketola said.
The commission explained that while its electronic system, the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, is capable of uploading and transmitting results, this only happens after voting has been completed, ballots counted, and result sheets signed by party agents at polling units.
Oketola stressed that the chairman had simply restated the commission’s existing protocol for electronic transmission, which has been in place since 2022.
“Since 2022, INEC has been transmitting results. We have BVAS, and BVAS is capable of accrediting and also uploading and transmitting the results. So definitely, the results will be transmitted,” he said.
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The statement noted that scanned copies of polling unit results, recorded on Form EC8A, would be uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing Portal as has been the practice in recent elections.
However, describing the process as real-time was misleading because it implied a live feed of votes as they are cast, which is not provided for under existing electoral laws and regulations.
Oketola cautioned journalists against careless reporting of technical electoral processes, warning that inaccuracies could trigger unnecessary public anxiety.
“Given the sensitive nature of election technology in our current national discourse, we urge our partners in the media to be meticulous in their reportage. Misquoting the chairman on technical procedures can lead to unnecessary public agitation and misinformation,” he said.
The commission reaffirmed its commitment to conducting transparent and technology-driven elections in the FCT and urged media organisations to support the process through accurate and professional coverage.
The clarification comes amid heightened national debate over the transmission of election results, with the recently signed Electoral Act 2026 Amendment allowing electronic transmission to IReV but stopping short of mandating real-time uploads.