The Network for the Actualization of Social Growth and Viable Development (NEFGAD) has called for investigation over the 2023 General Election Report released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to INEC’s report, the technical challenges faced during the February 25 presidential election on the INEC results viewing (IReV) platform were due to inherent complexities.
Reacting in a statement signed on Friday by NEFGAD’s head of office, Mr Akingunola Omoniyi, the group disputed INEC’s explanation, asserting that the IReV project was mis-procured and unfit for its intended purpose.
Omoniyi, while calling on Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the electoral umpire (INEC), suggested that the procurement process lacked due diligence, leading to the failure of the IReV system to function optimally on election day.
He emphasized that the IReV procurement failed to ensure the accuracy of claims made by the procuring entity and bidders, raising concerns about a potential large-scale collusion between the procuring entity and the selected bidder.
The statement read, “INEC in its 526-page 2023 General Elections Report says the reason why Nigerians couldn’t view in real-time the result of the presidential elections on the INEC results viewing (IReV) during the 25 February presidential election that was held last year was due to ‘’inherent complexities within the system which was difficult to anticipate as a result of unfrozen technical challenges arising from the uniqueness of the presidential election.”
The group further said that the “INEC report is an afterthought of a seriously flawed procurement process, positing that IReV project was mis-procured and unfit for purpose over its failure to function optimally on the day of election particularly for the transmission of presidential election results – being the intended purpose for which it was acquired.
“The entire IReV procurement has failed procurement due diligence test for its inability to ensure that the claims made by procuring entity, bidders are accurate and the selected bidder is capable of fulfilling the contract.”
NEFGAD however, called for a thorough investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Offences Commission (ICPC) to address possible procurement infractions.
The group highlighted the need for transparency and accountability in the electoral process, with implications for the credibility of future elections in Nigeria.
“In view of the foregoing, there is a clear possibility of large-scale collusion between the procuring entity and the selected bidder to perpetrate procurement infraction. Hence, the need for thorough investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Offences Commission (ICPC),” the group said.
NEFGAD Challenges INEC’s Report On IReV Failure, Calls For Investigation Of Procurement Process is first published on The Whistler Newspaper