Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong has raised questions regarding a recent ruling by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal concerning the transmission of election results from polling units to the IREV.

In a specific case brought before the Tribunal by the presidential candidates of the Labour Party (LP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), including Atiku Abubakar, the Tribunal ruled that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is not obligated to electronically transmit results to the IREV.

Vistanaij Media reported that the Tribunal dismissed the petitions of both candidates, citing a lack of sufficient evidence to unseat Bola Ahmed Tinubu from the presidency of Nigeria.

In response to this particular ruling, Effiong expressed his concerns, stating, “If INEC is not required to electronically transmit election results to the IREV, how will the results be transferred directly from the polling unit, as mandated by the Electoral Act?”

“Can results be transferred manually directly from the polling unit?

“Note that delivery of physical copies of Form EC8A to the collation centre together with agents of political parties and security agencies is a separate requirement.”