The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the Edo State gubernatorial election held on Saturday, September 21, 2024......See Full Story>>.....See Full Story>>
However, five days after the declaration, the INEC Results Viewing (IReV) portal, designed to provide real-time election results, remains incomplete, with only five out of the 18 local government areas (LGAs) fully uploaded.
As of Friday, September 27, 2024, the IReV portal showed that 98.83% of the results were available, with the remaining 1.17% yet to be uploaded. The five LGAs whose results have been completely uploaded are Esan Central, Owan East, Esan South East, Esan North East, and Igueben. The results from some polling units in the remaining 13 LGAs are still pending.
The IReV portal, introduced in 2021 to strengthen the election result management system and enhance transparency, allows citizens, observers, and stakeholders to view polling unit results and verify election outcomes. The delay in uploading all results raises questions about the process and the reasons behind the incomplete data on the portal.
When contacted for comment on the factors hindering the complete uploading of results on IReV, the INEC spokesperson in Edo State, Timidi Wariowei, declined to answer any questions about the Edo election.
Monday Okpebholo of the APC secured the highest number of votes in 11 out of the 18 LGAs, polling a total of 291,667 votes. Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) came in second with 247,274 votes, while Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP) placed third with 22,763 votes.
As the public awaits further information from INEC regarding the pending results, the incomplete data on the IReV portal continues to raise concerns about the transparency and efficiency of the election result management system.