INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan Vows to Audit IReV Portal, Address 2023 Election Glitches

Joash Amupitan, the new chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has pledged to conduct a comprehensive audit of the INEC Results Viewing (IReV) portal in a bid to restore public trust following technical failures during the 2023 general elections.

Speaking during his Senate screening on Thursday, Amupitan emphasised the importance of electoral technology, particularly the IReV portal and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), in safeguarding the credibility of elections. He described the issues experienced in 2023 as a “glitch,” but stressed the need for a thorough review to understand what went wrong.

“IReV was designed as a mechanism for transparency and verification, even though manual collation is still legally permitted. It was meant to serve as a check-and-balance tool,” he explained.

Amupitan said his first task, if confirmed, would be to assess the IReV system’s current capabilities and pinpoint its shortcomings. He noted that delivering reliable election technology will require collaboration with key stakeholders, including the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), and private service providers.

“I need to audit the system to determine whether it’s capable of serving our electoral needs. It’s not just INEC’s responsibility, it requires coordinated efforts from multiple agencies,” he said.

He also highlighted persistent funding delays and a lack of institutional autonomy as significant obstacles facing the commission. Despite legal provisions for early release of election funds, Amupitan noted that INEC remains financially constrained due to late disbursements and limited awareness of its constitutional authority.

“I haven’t fully taken over yet, but from past experience, even though laws mandate funds be released a year before elections, that often doesn’t happen. These delays hinder INEC’s ability to function independently and effectively,” he stated.

Source: TheCable