The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says that the Kogi State November 11 governorship result will be transmitted electronically directly from polling units to its server.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Kogi, Prof. Gabriel Longpet, disclosed this at a two-day media roundtable Engagement on the Kogi election Organized by the Independent Press Center, IPC in Abuja.
Prof. Longpet said the electronic transmission of the results will help to eliminate rigging, electoral fraud and other irregularities and to ensure the enthronement of credibility and transparency in the electoral process.
Longpet also assured that the issues of insecurity that characterised the 2019 governorship election have been critically analysed and dealt with, urging Koginelectorates to come out and vote as the election will be volatile free.
“Of course, we will be transmitting the Kogi election electronically. A lot of infractions do happen between the polling units and the collation centre; the transmission of the results through electronic methods will definitely prevent such issues of infractions from occurring.
“By the electoral acts, any results figures on form EC8A that appeared mutilated cannot be allowed. If results are transmitted electronically to the IREV, there will be no need for results to be hijacked in the first place, mutilated or changed.”
The state REC reiterated that the 2023 Kogi guber poll ‘will be by the poll and not by the gun”, assuring that the commission will do everything to ensure that votes count and that those who will emerge will emerge through popular votes.
“We have only one message and the message is that you come out to exercise your franchise,” he said.
The Independent Press Center, Executive Director, Mr Lanre Arogundade said the two days media round table was part of conscious efforts by the centre to train media personnel, as well as build strategic partnerships and alliances amongst election actors that would be harnessed to produce a better democratic setting in Kogi.
Arogundade urged the journalists to give voices to a wide range of interests in the forthcoming November Governorship Election in the State.
The programme is being implemented by the International Press Centre (IPC), Lagos, lead implementing partner of Component 4 (Support to media) of the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria EUSDGN (11) Project, holding at Treasures Suites & Conferences, Abuja
Arogundade said the Media training is to critically examine the Media to be able to interface rightly in reporting fair and balanced reportage of activities for the public to make informed judgments.
While pointing out that the training for the media is aimed at ensuring a credible and peaceful conduct of the Kogi State Governorship Election, urged the media to make their agenda-setting role, take a lead role in mobilizing the electorate towards participating actively in the forthcoming November Governorship Election with the seriousness it deserves.
The Executive Director charged the media to be accountable to public scrutiny and bring professionalism and objectivity to bear in the discharge of their duties, pointing out that the public needs to be informed on registration and voting processes.
He urged the media to hold INEC accountable to deliver on credible Kogi election and to be balanced in their coverage and reportage.
As part of their responsibilities, the Executive Director also called on the media to document all necessary information about the Kogi Governorship Election for post-election purposes, said it is the duty of the media to inform the electorate on all activities relating to candidates, political parties and processes in the Kogi State governorship election.
While charging the media to report the political activities regarding the Kogi State Governorship Election with universally accepted guidelines, towards making the electorate have informed judgement, urged for the reportage of political activities to be on a daily basis ahead of the State Governorship Election.
About 25 Kogi Journalists, drawn from the Print, Electronics and the Online media from the State are taking part in the training, which has a rich array of resources persons to train the Journalists.