NEWS
“There’s No Polling Unit in Nigeria Without Network“ — Former INEC National Commissioner Festus Okoye Dismisses Connectivity Concerns, Defends Electronic Transmission of Results
Former National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Festus Okoye, has declared that every polling unit across Nigeria has internet access, dismissing persistent concerns about network connectivity during elections as unfounded.
Okoye made this revelation on Tuesday during an interview on Trust TV monitored by Daily Post, where he weighed in on the ongoing national debate surrounding amendments to the Electoral Act by the National Assembly and its signing by Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Speaking firmly on the issue of electronic transmission of results and alleged technical challenges during elections, Okoye maintained that the infrastructure deployed by INEC is designed to function effectively, even in areas perceived to have limited connectivity.
He said, “All the INEC machines for the election come with power bank and other accessories.
“Now, when elections are over, the Presiding Officer has snapped the For EC8A and there’s no network at that particular point, it stores the information in. The moment it comes into contact with the network, it transmits immediately.
“So, what the Presiding Officer has inputed, he cannot undo it until he gets network. No these whole issue about network, I think it’s an unnecessary debate.
“There’s no polling unit in this country where there’s no network. None. Forget about all these things about network connectivity. It’s just a lame excuse.
“Before iReV was deployed, the Commission conducted elections in different places and has used its result viewing portal to upload polling units level results.”
Okoye’s comments come at a time when the credibility of electronic transmission of results remains a central issue in Nigeria’s electoral reform discourse. Critics have often cited poor network coverage in remote communities as a major obstacle to real-time result uploads, while supporters of the technology insist it enhances transparency and reduces manipulation.
By insisting that no polling unit in Nigeria lacks network access, the former commissioner sought to put to rest arguments that connectivity issues undermine the integrity of result transmission.
According to him, the system is structured in such a way that data captured at the polling unit is securely stored and automatically transmitted once network connectivity is established, eliminating the possibility of tampering by presiding officers.
His intervention adds a significant voice to the ongoing legislative and public conversation about strengthening Nigeria’s electoral framework, particularly as stakeholders continue to assess the performance of technological innovations introduced by INEC in recent election cycles.
As debates over electoral reforms intensify, Okoye’s categorical dismissal of network-related excuses is likely to further spark discussions among political actors, civil society organizations, and the voting public on the future of credible
elections in Nigeria.