-Electronic uploading and transmitting of results will take place only after voting, counting and manual signing of results by party agents at polling units.
By Olawale Lamina
Ahead of the Saturday 21 February 2026 elections in the Federal Capital Territory (Abuja) Area Councils, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has denied certain media claims that the poll will be transmitted real-time, but rather it will stick to the existing electronic result transmission protocol in operation since 2022.
The rebuttal was part of statement released on Wednesday by INEC’s Chief Press Secretary, Adedayo Oketola, stating categorically that INEC’s Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, was only misquoted by some media organizations , upon his visit 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,” Amupitan said.
The electoral umpire explained that though its electronic system, BVAS, is capable of uploading and transmitting results, the process occurs after voting, counting, and signing of results by party agents at polling units, not same time as votes are cast.
The statement explained that the Prof. Amupitan had only restated the commission’s existing protocol for electronic result transmission, which has been in operation 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,” the INEC chairman was quoted as saying.
It emphasized that, while the Commission remains committed to electronically uploading scanned polling unit results, known as Form EC8A, to the INEC Result Viewing Portal, the upload takes place only after voting, counting and manual signing of results by party agents at polling units.
The INEC’s statement stressed that it is inaccurate to describe the process as “real-time” ,because of the implications of suggesting a live feed of votes as they are cast, “which is not provided for under the legal and regulatory framework guiding elections.”
The INEC’s Chief Press Secretary seized the occasion to appeal to journalists to exercise restraint in their reportage of technical details, just as misrepresentation could result in general confusion.
Oketola said: “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.”
The electoral umpire therefore restated its resolve to maintain transparent, technology-driven elections in the FCT and called on the media to ensure accurate and professional coverage of the process.
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