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Old INEC leaders disagree with Amupitan, say mandatory result transmission feasible
For the umpteenth time, Nigerians were almost unanimous on Sunday, in their continued quest for mandatory electronic transmission of results to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Portal (IReV) in subsequent elections in the country, particularly that of the forthcoming general polls in 2027.
This formed the fulcrum of engagements at the national debate over the Electoral Act 2026, recently signed into law, where but for the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nigeria’s ruling party and opposition groups and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), were unanimous in demanding for the process.
At the Citizens’ Townhall parley on Sunday, broadcast live on Channels Television, where stakeholders interrogated the new 2026 Electoral Act, passed by the National Assembly and assented to by President Bola Tinubu, various speakers believed that without the provision made total without any proviso, was akin to returning Nigeria to the dark ages of huge electoral malfeasance.
Themed: Electoral Act 2026: What It Means for Your Vote and The 2027 Elections, Joash Amupitan, Chairman of INEC, who identifying network inadequacy as a primary challenge, emphasised that the quality of an election is inherently linked to logistical capacity.
Dwelling on the hiccups of elections in Nigeria, the INEC boss who assured that the technical glitches that marred the 2023 presidential polls had been eliminated, told his audience: “I don’t see the issue of transmission as a problem; the problem is not the network but the adequacy of the networks we have. Nigeria might not achieve “100 per cent perfect elections for now. But the Commission is striving to deliver the best possible outcome.
“The glitch is eliminated; by God’s grace, it will not surface in Nigeria. INEC will conduct a mock presidential election to stress-test the transmission architecture. One of the things we are trying to do before the election is to have a mock presidential election so that we are sure that this transmission across the states must not fail.”
But Samson Itodo, Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, leading the CSOs, who joined issues with the INEC, assailed NASS for option to include a proviso to in the process that tended towards manual transmission as an option, arguing that electronic transmission must be the sole, real-time method for results to ensure credibility.
His words: “And as we approach 2027, the credibility of that election will not just be determined on election day. It will be determined by a few things: the quality of preparations, the transparency of resource management, the professionalism of election officials, how political actors restrain themselves, but more importantly, the independence and the integrity of our security agencies and the judiciary.
“And lastly, the vigilance of citizens is what will determine the credibility of the next elections, because democracy is not self-executing. It requires guardians, and the citizens of this great country are the guardians that we need.”
For Okechukwu Ibeanu and Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, former Commissioners at INEC, who agreed with Itodo, there was no basis for resort to manual system, which was akin to the Incidence Form, INEC had adopted in the past as a fallback option, which eventually dominated the process, warning that the issue of no network would similarly would become a major feature in future elections.
Ibeanu said: “I think there are still gaps and loopholes in the law, and it’s unfortunate that it took us debating about a proviso for the country to come to a consensus that electronic transmission was actually in the 2022 act.
“But what we have done is actually to take us far back to 2018… We consistently tinker with the electoral legal framework as if that holds all the answers to our electoral problems. Citizens, this is about you. It is not about politicians; it is not about INEC. Except citizens are in a position to protect their votes and control those who ostensibly represent them, our dream of a truly democratic country will remain an illusion.”
Osaze-Uzi, former Director of Voter Education at INEC, who was more emphatic that the new Electoral Act had returned Nigeria back with the proviso on manual collation, asked his audience: “Who is the judge when there is a network failure? Is it the electoral officer?”
Oluwadara Oluwalana, Head of Information Communication Technology (ICT) at the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), maintained the position of the body that Nigeria had the capacity to try out technology in the 2027 polls, with the collaboration of operators, saying: “Yes, I believe telecom operators can come together and make it work. I think we have the capacity now.”
Chidi Nwafor, until 2023, Director ICT at INEC, who confirmed being instrumental to the creation of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and IReV, blamed the judiciary for ignoring the intent of INEC in coming up with the two devices as a foolproof mechanism for electoral process in the country, warning that what happened in the 2023 election, must not be repeated in 2027.
President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday, announced the approval of the establishment of a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats and ordered the immediate release of ₦10 billion as emergency intervention funding.
Bayo Onanuga, presidential spokesman, who conveyed the development to the public, said the fund would strengthen the operational preparedness of the National Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and support critical national public health emergency response activities.
To be chaired by Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff (CoS) to the President, the committee with membership drawn from relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and state representatives is also expected to get briefings on their plans to contain the disease.
Onanuga, stated that Tinubu also specifically directed all states hosting international airports and international border corridors, as well as relevant MDAs, to submit their plans, funding requirements and intervention needs for consideration and coordinated implementation.
Stating that the President’s move followed a stakeholder meeting convened under the CoS to review Nigeria’s preparedness and develop strategies against the possible importation of Ebola into the country., the statement informed that the Task Force would also intensify passenger screening at all international airports through enhanced temperature checks and crowd-control protocols.
Other measures would also include enhanced monitoring of passengers arriving through high-risk airline routes, including Air Uganda, Rwanda Air, Air Tanzania, Air Angola, Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines; and the immediate activation of referral and isolation centres at the Lagos and Abuja international airports, with other airports to follow.
Other measures include the mandatory activation of QR code-based pre-arrival health declaration systems for passengers originating from or transiting through designated high-risk countries, as well as the disinfection of departure halls, cargoes, baggage areas and airport facilities as precautionary environmental measures.
The President also directed the advisory group to consult with security, diplomatic and aviation bodies on regulating flights from affected and designated high-risk countries and mandated the task force to designate specific airports or terminals for high-risk flights to enable controlled screening and isolation procedures, and to consider adjusting flight schedules to minimise interaction between high-risk passengers and other travellers.
Justice Akintoye Aluko of the Federal High Court, Lagos on Tuesday ordered the remand of Paul Jibrin Oweleke in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) over alleged cybercrime offences linked to social media broadcasts that allegedly called for overthrow of President Bola Tinubu.
Specifically, Oweleke, in a two-count charge was accused of publishing posts on his online platform known as “Oweleke TV”, urging the Nigerian military to remove the President from office in a manner similar to takeovers in some West African countries, an act the agency said bordered on incitement and the use of a computer system to disseminate content considered prejudicial to national security and constitutional governance.
Oweleke’s broadcasts, the agency stressed, were capable of inciting public disorder and promoting disaffection against the government, which will undermine the country’s democracy.
Legal argument had ensued immediately after Oweleke, pleaded not guilty to the charges, with his lawyer kicking vehemently against the prayer of the agency that the court should order his remand pending the commencement of trial, on the ground that a bail application had already been filed and served on the prosecution.
But Aluko, who was persuaded to grant the prayer, went with the DSS, while adjourning the matter to June 16 for the hearing of the bail application, stating that Oweleke, would remain in the facility of the agency pending the outcome.
By June 29 all medical doctors in public hospitals in Nigeria will drop their stethoscopes and other instruments of healthcare, unless the Federal Government settles all unpaid allowances, salary arrears, delayed training funds, and worsening welfare concerns of its members across the country’s health sector.
This was the notice served to the government on Monday, through The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), the umbrella under which the doctors operate, after rising from Ordinary General Meeting (OGM) held in Kano.
In the 21-day ultimatum to the government, the doctors warned that it would not be able to guarantee industrial harmony if the issues remain unresolved within the 21-day period.
In the resolution conveying their position, signed by Mohammad Suleiman, President, Shuaibu Ibrahim, Secretary-General, and Abdulmajid Yahya Ibrahim, Publicity and Social Secretary, on Friday, the body regretted that government had failed to fulfil several commitments to doctors despite repeated assurances and engagements.
“The association hereby declares an industrial dispute with the federal government of Nigeria on the outlined matters above and cannot guarantee industrial harmony after the 21-day window period given to address all the demands,” the communique reads.
The association said it is giving the federal government the 21-day window to commence concrete actions towards the development and implementation of a national healthcare workers assault prevention and response protocol
and the initiation of the necessary legislative process to address the menace.
NARD also demanded the release and payment of the 2026 medical residency training fund (MRTF) to all eligible resident doctors nationwide within the next 21 days.
The association questioned the unpaid salary and promotion arrears in several federal and state health institutions, as well as discrepancies in professional allowances reflected in members’ May 2026 salaries.
It highlighted the welfare issues affecting house officers, including salary delays, unpaid arrears, and difficulties with internship placement and onboarding processes that remain unresolved.
It also accused Motunrayo Omidiran, executive chairman of the Federal Character Commission (FCC), of delaying the issuance of letters of compliance to federal health institutions, noting that the delay has hampered recruitment efforts, manpower shortages, and brain drain in the sector.
NARD expressed worries about the increasing assaults, harassment, intimidation, and violent attacks against doctors while on duty, demanding the arrests, investigation, and prosecution of perpetrators.
It called for the establishment of a national healthcare workers’ assault prevention and response protocol within 21 days by the federal government and security agencies.
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