(DDM) – The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has clarified that results from the February 21, 2026 Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) will not be transmitted in real time, dismissing reports suggesting otherwise as inaccurate.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, INEC’s Chief Press Secretary, Adedayo Oketola, said the commission’s chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, was misquoted by some media organisations following his visit to polling preparation centres in Kuje, Gwagwalada and Bwari Area Councils.
Oketola stressed that at no point did the chairman use the phrase “real-time” during his interaction with journalists. He described the reports as a misrepresentation of the chairman’s technical explanation of the commission’s result transmission procedures.
According to the commission, while its electronic system — the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) — is capable of uploading and transmitting results, the process only takes place after voting has concluded, votes have been counted, and result sheets have been signed by party agents at polling units. It does not occur simultaneously as votes are being cast.
INEC explained that the chairman merely reiterated the commission’s established protocol for electronic transmission of results, a system that has been operational since 2022. Oketola quoted him as affirming that BVAS is used for accreditation and is also capable of uploading and transmitting results once due process has been completed at the polling unit level.
The commission further clarified that scanned copies of polling unit result sheets, known as Form EC8A, will be uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV). However, this upload occurs only after voting, counting, and the manual signing of results by party agents, in line with existing electoral regulations.
Describing the process as “real-time,” the statement noted, creates a false impression that there would be a live feed of votes as they are cast. INEC emphasized that such a procedure is neither provided for nor supported under the current legal and regulatory framework governing elections in Nigeria.
Oketola urged media practitioners to exercise caution and accuracy when reporting on technical electoral matters, warning that misrepresentation of procedures could lead to unnecessary public confusion and agitation.
He noted that election technology remains a sensitive subject in Nigeria’s national discourse and called on journalists to ensure meticulous and professional coverage of the electoral process.
INEC reaffirmed its commitment to transparent and technology-driven elections in the FCT Area Council polls, maintaining that while electronic transmission remains part of its framework, it must be understood within the context of established guidelines and legal provisions.
