Electronic transmission of results by INEC not mandatory, PEPT rules

The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal (PEPT), sitting in Abuja, on Wednesday, ruled that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has the liberty to define its mode of transmitting election results.

Justice Haruna Tsammani, who read the ruling on behalf of the five-man tribunal panel, noted that INEC was not mandated to send election results electronically.

Tsammani said: “There is no provision for the electronic transmission of election results in the Electoral Act 2022.

“By the provision of Section 52 and Section 65 of the Electoral Act, INEC is at liberty to prescribe the manner in which result can be transmitted. INEC cannot be compelled to electronically transmit result.”

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The declaration was made in a ruling on the petition filed by Peter Obi of the Labour Party challenging the election of President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the February 25 election.

Prior today to the 2023 elections, the INEC promised to transmit election results electronically from the polling units.

It, however, failed to do so in some polling units citing glitches on its website.

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