INEC Denies Real-Time Result Transmission for FCT Elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has issued a statement denying reports that results from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections, scheduled for February 21, will be transmitted in real-time. Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, clarified that there has never been a promise to transmit results in real-time, cautioning against the misrepresentation of the term.

Prof. Amupitan confirmed that while technology will play a central role in the upcoming elections, the phrase "real-time" does not imply live simultaneous feeds of votes cast.

He noted that such a method does not align with Nigeria's current legal framework or the commission's operational guidelines. INEC explained that the electronic transmission process involves uploading scanned results from polling units to the IREV portal after manual counting and formal signing of result sheets.

The commission urged media practitioners to exercise restraint in reporting to avoid misinformation and public agitation.