The election tribunal has ruled that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is not mandated to transmit election results electronically.
The ruling by the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal (PEPT) on Wednesday comes after a legal challenge to INEC’s decision to transmit results manually in the 2023 presidential election.
The tribunal, led by Justice Haruna Tsammani, said that there is no provision for the electronic transmission of election results in the Electoral Act 2022.
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“By the provision of Section 52 and Section 65 of the Electoral Act, INEC is at liberty to prescribe the manner in which result can be transmitted. INEC cannot be compelled to electronically transmit result,” the court held.
The ruling is a setback for advocates of electronic transmission of election results, who argue that it would help to prevent fraud and ensure the integrity of elections.
INEC has said that it is committed to ensuring the credibility of elections, and that it will take steps to improve the security and transparency of the electoral process.
The ruling is likely to be appealed to the Supreme Court.
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