The Commission receives cash from the CBN
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured Nigerians and the international community that the results transmission system for the 2023 general election cannot be penetrated by hackers.
Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu gave the assurance during a meeting with leaders of foreign observation missions at the commission headquarters in Abuja.
The INEC chairman, who spoke on the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), said the election results to be sent to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) cannot be tampered with by hackers.
He said: “We do not transmit raw figures. The law does not allow electronic transmission of results. Raw figures transmitted online are more vulnerable to hacking, while document images are not vulnerable to hacking and we have experience of doing this for a long time.
“We have done this in 105 bye and off-cycle elections using this system of electronic transmission of results.”
Yakubu also disclosed that the commission got money from the Central Bank of Nigeria for the success of the election.
According to him, the commission is more relaxed and prepared for the elections compared to the same period in 2019.
He said: “Now we are more relaxed mainly because the framework of the electoral law has changed. The party has to hold a primary election and send names to the commission before the election. Under the old law, we had 60 days to conduct the election, but now we have 180 days.
“So the parties can do the primaries in good time and send the names of the candidates six months to the election. So, we start preparing sensitive material if we know the party participating in the election and in the constituency.
“But this election is being held in a number of challenges. The fuel situation, currency problems and security challenges but we are going out of our way to mobilize every national institution for the elections. We made an agreement with the national oil company to provide fuel for personnel and vehicles moving materials, especially arrangements with port owners and road transport owners and we are happy.
“In the matter of cash. We need a little money, so we are involved with the Central Bank of Nigeria and the top bank has provided us with the little money we need to pay for services that cannot be paid for by electronic payment.