“Elections Results Were Transmitted Manually Not Electronically – Bode George”

Chief Bode George, a former deputy national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has railed against the manual compilation of 2023 general elections’ results in favour of the electronic transmission mandated by the 2022 electoral act.

In a statement he made, Bode George said that hand collation in this technological age is strange. He added that the Independent National Electoral Commission’s performance last Saturday was disappointing.

The PDP Chieftain further claimed that the position taken by INEC is severely undermining the efforts of developed nations like the United States (US), which invested a significant amount of money and resources in the election.

George urged the international community to denounce the self-destructive and annihilating political malpractice on the grounds that it has observers there.

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He said: “It is disheartening to learn that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expressed the position that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), meant for the seamless transmission of election results electronically into the commission’s server is failing, and thus, necessitating the reversal to the manual system.

“This is against the standard for the election and it is not acceptable at all, as we are being taken back to the period of misery when election results were manipulated between the polling units and the collation centres.

“It is the most despicable shameful act, after the certification of the veracity of the BVAS, for the transmission process of results, which was attested to, by the mock process successfully embarked on by INEC before the election, coupled by the successful deployment of the system for the Ekiti, Anambra and Osun governorship elections.

“How can we accept this uncivilised abuse against an established electoral reform already gazetted and entrenched as Electoral Act in our constitution?

“The transmission of the ongoing collation for the Presidential and National Assembly election results must be transmitted electronically as enunciated by INEC.

“INEC, should not succumb to any pressure, to force to alternate the results from the polling units, as history would judge the Chairman of the electoral body, who swore an oath to ensure a free, fair and credible electoral process.

“In the event of being pressured to alternate results of the election, the INEC Chairman should raise his voice for Nigerians to hear or step down from his position.”