E-transmission: All Nigerian Polling Units Have Internet Access, Says Ex-INEC Commissioner

Festus Okoye, former National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has stated that every polling unit in Nigeria is connected to the internet.

Okoye made the claim on Tuesday during an interview with Trust TV, highlighting the capabilities of INEC’s electronic transmission system amid the ongoing debate over the Electoral Act amendment signed by President Bola Tinubu.

He explained that all INEC voting machines are equipped with power banks and necessary accessories. “Once voting concludes, the Presiding Officer finalizes the EC8A form. If the network is temporarily unavailable, the system stores the data and transmits it as soon as connectivity is restored. The information entered cannot be altered until it reaches the network,” Okoye said.

He dismissed concerns over network issues, stating, “There is no polling unit in this country without network access. Questions about connectivity are unnecessary and misleading.”

Okoye also noted that before the deployment of the iReV system, INEC successfully conducted elections in various locations and used its results viewing portal to upload polling unit-level results.