Members of the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) cohort have joined the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room and other civil society organisations in raising concerns over new features introduced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) into the transmission and management of election results.
In a joint statement on the transmission and collation of election results, the organisations identified two areas requiring further clarification in INEC’s 2026 Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections: the introduction of an electronic EC8A on the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and a backend validation process before transmitted results are published on the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV).
The organisations expressed concern that the backend validation process takes place outside the view of the public, political party agents and election observers, while there is limited public information on what is being validated, who conducts the validation and how long the process should take.
“The period between transmission and publication on IReV creates uncertainty and weakens public confidence in the integrity of the process,” the organisations stated.
They also raised questions about the introduction of the electronic EC8A, noting that the regulations do not clearly explain where results entered into the electronic form are transmitted or the specific purpose they serve within the results management process.
According to the statement, the arrangement could result in multiple versions of a polling-unit result, including the physical EC8A, the scanned image uploaded to IReV and retained on the BVAS, and the electronically transmitted e-EC8A. The organisations said greater clarity was needed on how any discrepancies between these records would be addressed.
The EU-SDGN cohort members, alongside the Situation Room and other signatories, called on INEC to discontinue backend validation of transmitted results before publication on IReV or subject the process to public and independent scrutiny.
They also urged INEC to publish a results-transmission protocol that clearly explains the results management process from end to end and provides for an independent assessment of the upgraded BVAS and IReV.
The organisations further called for the electronic EC8A to be removed from the results management process, citing concerns about the potential for misuse and the risks associated with creating an additional electronic layer within the system.
With the Osun State Governorship Election approaching, the organisations described the election as an important test of the results management process.
“The forthcoming Osun election is a major test of the results-management process. The Commission should implement these recommendations as a demonstration of its commitment to transparency, accountability and the integrity of the electoral process,” the statement said.
EU-SDGN cohort members that signed the statement include the International Press Center, Center for Media and Society, Nigerian Women Trust Fund, TAF Africa, The Kukah Center and Yiaga Africa.
Other signatories include the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, Accountability Lab Nigeria, Center for Journalism, Innovation and Development, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Center, Dataphyte, ElectHer, Inclusive Friends Association and TAP Initiative.
