Professor Attahiru Jega, who served as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has made a noteworthy claim asserting that certain politicians, driven by an intense determination to secure victory in elections by any means necessary, purportedly engaged in the unauthorized access and manipulation of INEC’s election result portal, known as IReV, during the electoral proceedings of 2023.
This allegation suggests a potential breach of electoral integrity, where individuals with vested interests allegedly tampered with the electronic platform designed to transparently convey election results.
Jega’s assertion raises concerns about the integrity of the electoral process and highlights the need for comprehensive investigations to ascertain the veracity of these claims and ensure the credibility of the democratic system.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Inside Sources Programme, Jega expressed that these reckless politicians hindered INEC’s efforts to conduct a fair election.
Jega emphasized that despite INEC’s commendable efforts in challenging circumstances, selfish politicians undermined the transparency and integrity of the election results process.
He stated that from his experience at INEC from 2011 to 2015, he suspected that such interference persisted through 2023.
Jega explained that politicians often attempted to outsmart INEC by staying one step ahead, undermining the technological advancements introduced by the electoral body.
Expressing concern, Jega highlighted a possible failure in the IReV portal, despite the confidence expressed by the current INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu.
He speculated that the intrusion and failure might be attributed to some politicians infiltrating and manipulating the system. Jega, however, asserted that INEC would bear the blame for the incident.
The former INEC chairman suggested that politicians utilized various means to disrupt and bypass the IReV portal, urging for a thorough investigation into the matter.
He called on INEC to transparently communicate the details of what happened to the IReV portal to the Nigerian public.
