The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reaffirmed the authenticity and validity of the 2023 presidential election results, rejecting claims of discrepancies between results reported on its website and those announced by returning officers at the National Collation Centre.
The Centre for Collaborative Investigative Journalism (CCIJ) had raised concerns about inconsistencies. In a letter dated August 7 addressed to INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, CCIJ referenced a discrepancy between the number of polling units (PUs) where voting was canceled as reported in televised announcements and the figures provided on INEC’s IREV (INEC Result Viewing) platform. The CCIJ highlighted that while INEC had reported 1,578 canceled PUs, its records showed 2,203.
Violence was cited as a significant factor in the cancellations, affecting about half of the polling stations. The total number of registered voters was also noted as varying between reports.
In response, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, stated that the Commission does not use YouTube for announcing election results and asserted that there are no discrepancies in the number of registered voters or the presidential election results announced by the Commission. The INEC maintains that the results released are accurate and aligned with their official records.
