The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed claims of discrepancies in the 2023 presidential election results, affirming that the declared results are “official and authentic.”
This response comes after the Centre for Collaborative Investigative Journalism (CCIJ) raised concerns about alleged inconsistencies in the results.
Rotimi Oyekanmi, spokesman for INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, stated that there are no discrepancies in the number of polling units and registered voters. He emphasized that the total number of polling units and registered voters remains as announced by the Commission.
Oyekanmi explained that election results may be cancelled due to specific reasons such as violence, over-voting, and refusal to use the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), as stipulated in the extant laws. He referred to the Electoral Act 2023 and INEC Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections (2022) for further clarification.
Oyekanmi invited the public to verify the results on the INEC website, (link unavailable), stating that the results presented by the 36 State Returning Officers and the Returning Officer for the FCT at the National Collation Centre, Abuja, are official and authentic.
INEC dismissed CCIJ’s claims of inconsistencies in the results, stating that the figures quoted in the letter are inconsistent with the details/results presented publicly by the Imo State Returning Officer at the National Collation Centre, Abuja.
