Okoye: All Nigerian Polling Units Have Internet Access

Festus Okoye, a former commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), asserted that there is no polling unit in Nigeria without internet connectivity. He made this statement during an interview on Trust TV, addressing the public debate surrounding the recent amendments to the Electoral Act approved by Bola Tinubu.

Okoye criticized concerns regarding poor network coverage during elections, labeling them as exaggerated and not reflective of the actual situation on the ground. He explained that INEC's electronic devices are equipped to securely transmit results once a connection is available, utilizing power banks as accessories.

He clarified that results captured at polling units using the EC8A forms are stored in the devices until a network signal is detected for transmission. Okoye emphasized that electoral officials cannot alter results entered into the devices, ensuring the integrity of the process.

He dismissed claims of inadequate internet access as excuses meant to undermine the electronic transmission process, reiterating that INEC has successfully tested electronic result uploads through the IREV platform in several elections.