The All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA has told the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to work towards improving the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), as a way of upscaling from its performance during the 2023 General Elections.
The National Chairman of the party, Barr Sly Ezeokenwa made the call during the INEC verification visit to the APGA National Secretariat in Abuja.
He lauded INEC for its exemplary conduct during the 2023 General Election and applauded the commission for its diligent discharge of duties, as well as its amicable rapport with the party.
According to Ezeokenwa, despite the justified agitation of the people over its failure to transmit election results in real-time to the result portal, the INEC performed well during the elections.
The APGA National Chairman tasked the Commission with identifying areas of concern by the people and addressing them going forward.
“With the very innovative introduction of the Bi-Modal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, the INEC was for the first time, close to having it hundred percent with the integrity of the data, especially as it pertains to accreditation.
“The next one is in the result management system, where we had serious issues.
“The reason a lot of people felt so bad about this was that the INEC made a firm promise that the results would be transmitted electronically, in real-time to the iREV.
“It is now left for the commission to improve on the areas that Nigerians have pointed out, especially on the issue of the iREV.
“They should probably seek for an amendment of the Electoral Act. If possible, let us see if we can have an electronic collation of results,” he said.
Barr. Ezeokenwa, reaffirmed the party’s status as a national institution for democracy and progressive studies, where the tenets of democracy are not just abided by, but also passed on to the next generations.
The INEC Election and Party Monitoring team, led by Ms. Hawa Habibu, paid a visit to the APGA National Chairman as part of the commission’s annual verification of political parties.
Ms. Habibu highlighted the constitutional mandate of the commission, which includes ensuring compliance with constitutional provisions related to the number and structure of party offices in Abuja, auditing of party finances, and other pertinent matters.
The INEC team, in turn, acknowledged the proactive approach of APGA, lauding the party for its dedication to upholding provisions of the constitution specifically section 225.
“This reciprocal appreciation underscores a mutual commitment to maintaining a robust and transparent electoral framework.
“Section 225 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) states that every political party shall, at such times and in such manner as the INEC determines, publish a statement of its assets and liabilities.
“It is in keeping with this mandate that this visit has become necessary,” she posited.
