INEC's IReV Portal Glitch Explained by Festus Okoye

Festus Okoye, a former National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), disclosed that the commission faced technological difficulties and cyberattacks during the 2023 presidential election, which resulted in a prolonged disruption of its result-viewing portal, IReV. Okoye stated in an interview on the podcast Deep Insights, hosted by Austin Agbonsuremi, that despite extensive preparations, the portal failed to function as expected after voting concluded at several polling units.

This failure raised concerns about the integrity and reliability of the electronic transmission process. Okoye explained that the technology malfunctioned, and the commission initially believed the issue would be resolved quickly.

However, the problem persisted, prompting officials to communicate the situation to the public. He noted that INEC's digital platforms were subjected to multiple cyberattacks during the election period, although he refrained from directly linking these attacks to the IReV failure.

The incident has drawn renewed scrutiny as political parties prepare for the 2027 elections.