Senator Victor Umeh believes the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV) will help Nigeria address electoral malpractices
Umeh spoke on Sunday during the Citizens’ Townhall on the Electoral Act 2026.
“The IREV Portal will be a checkmate to election rigging,” the Anambra Central lawmaker said at the event in Abuja.
‘The IREV Portal will be a checkmate to election rigging.’ – Former National Chairman, APGA, Senator Victor Umeh#CTVTweets
#2026ElectoralAct#CitizensTownhall pic.twitter.com/4E80HFIRDd
A Professor of Political Science and former electoral commissioner, Okechukwu Ibeanu, has warned that Nigeria’s amended electoral legal framework still contains gaps that could undermine the country’s democratic process.
Ibeanu made the remarks while delivering a keynote address at a Citizens’ Townhall, a policy dialogue on electoral reforms in Abuja, where he urged citizens to take greater responsibility in safeguarding democracy.
He said Nigerians often place excessive faith in legislation as the sole solution to electoral challenges, noting that overreliance on legal frameworks without institutional and civic reforms may not yield the desired outcomes.
“I think there are still gaps and loopholes in the law, and it’s unfortunate that it took us debating about a proviso for the country to come to a consensus that electronic transmission was actually in the 2022 act. But what we have done is actually to take us far back to 2018, where those debates were held in this country.
“We consistently tinker with the electoral legal framework as if that holds all the answers to our electoral problems. But more importantly, we hand the process of amending the Act to politicians, the same people the law is meant to regulate,” he said.
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The professor stated that Nigeria’s electoral law has been repealed and re-enacted multiple times, alongside several amendments, a pattern he described as unhealthy for a stable democracy.
“Amendment and repeal of the law should be its medicine, not its daily bread,” Ibeanu stated, warning that constant alterations risk turning reforms into tools for political calculation rather than safeguards for voters’ rights.
He added that persistent changes to the law could lead to provisions designed primarily to serve political interests rather than to protect citizens’ votes.
Ibeanu also cautioned against excessive regulatory oversight of political parties by the electoral commission, likening it to a “military regime spectre” if not carefully balanced with democratic principles.
Emphasising civic responsibility, he urged Nigerians to become more actively involved in defending their votes and holding leaders accountable.
“Citizens, this is about you. It is not about politicians; it is not about INEC.
Except citizens are in a position to protect their votes and control those who ostensibly represent them, our dream of a truly democratic country will remain an illusion,” he said.
The political scientist further called for a detailed review of specific provisions of the electoral law, including Sections 50, 60, and 62, urging the electoral body to issue clearer regulations and guidelines to remove ambiguities.
Nigeria recently updated its electoral system after President Bola Tinubu signed the Electoral Act 2026 into law on February 18, 2026, replacing the 2022 legislation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Key provisions of the new law include: Mandatory electronic transmission of results to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal, recognition of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), new timelines for election notices and candidate nominations, revised methods for party primaries, and earlier release of funding for the electoral commission.
The Head of ICT at the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Oluwadara Oluwalana, sees no issue with the manual backup for the transmission of results in the Electoral Act 2026.
Oluwalana said this on Sunday at the Citizens’ Townhall on the 2026 Electoral Act, citing other countries that adopted a similar measure.
READ ALSO: Electoral Act 2026 Still Contains Loopholes — Ex-INEC Official
“I would also like to speak about the manual part of the process. It should not be an issue. I think we should be looking at how we solve the disputes that arise. For example, as Senator Umeh mentioned, how do we resolve these disputes when they happen?
“When India started real-time elections, they had to re-incorporate manual backups because a lot of disputes came up. As you saw with the technology recently, where the ‘glitch’ necessitated a change, we have simply made provisions for everything.
“Our focus now should be: how do we move forward? How do we ensure we resolve the issues that emerge between the IReV (INEC Result Viewing Portal), the BVAS, and the manual records? I believe we have the right technology to try it out in this election.”
Seun: Do you think on election day all the telecom companies can come together and deliver a good network for the election?
Oluwadara: Yes, I believe telecom operators can come together and make it work. I think we have the capacity now.
Oluwadara Oluwalana is the Head of ICT,… pic.twitter.com/UmP5qj07SK
Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), have foiled coordinated attacks by suspected ISWAP fighters on Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) in Borno State, recovering arms and an armed drone in the process.
The affected locations include FOB Mayanti, Gajigana and Gajiram, as troops intensified offensive operations across Sector 2.
The Media Information Officer of Operation HADIN KAI, Lt. Col. Sani Uba, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.
According to him, “the terrorists launched the attack between the late hours of 28 February and early hours of 1 March 2026, underscore the growing desperation of terrorist elements under sustained pressure on their enclaves, logistics corridors and leadership structures.”
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He added that while the attack on Gajigana was successfully repelled with troops maintaining full control of their position, the encounters at Mayanti and Gajiram resulted in significant terrorist casualties and the recovery of combat equipment.
“At about 2300 hours on 28 February 2026, FOB Mayanti came under heavy attack by a large number of terrorists. Gallant troops held firm despite intense enemy fire, as reinforcements fought through ambush and IED threats to rout the attackers,” he said.
“Exploitation confirmed five terrorist corpses and the recovery of three PKT automatic anti-aircraft guns, two RPG-7 tubes, four AK-47 rifles, two FN rifles, three RPG bombs and large quantities of 7.62mm ammunition, with blood trails indicating additional casualties, sadly an officer paid the supreme price.”
Lt. Col. Uba further revealed that at about 0115 hours on 1 March 2026, terrorists armed with PKT guns, RPGs and armed drones attacked FOB Gajiram but were repelled by troops supported by air assets.
Three terrorist bodies were recovered along the withdrawal route, alongside four AK-47 rifles, five anti-tank bombs, three locally fabricated mortar bombs, one armed drone, six fully loaded 7.62mm NATO magazines, barbed wire cutters, specialised ammunition, poisoned arrows and other items abandoned while fleeing. One wounded soldier was airlifted by a Nigerian Army Aviation helicopter for advanced medical care.
He added, “Additionally, during an ambush around Bulturam Corner and Dadingel in Gujba LGA, troops neutralised two terrorists and recovered two AK-47 rifles, four AK-47 magazines, a bicycle and other sundry items. All locations remain firmly under own control, and the scale of recoveries and confirmed enemy losses further underscores the degrading combat capacity of ISWAP elements.”
Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, has expressed deep concern over the reported abduction of His Royal Highness, Ezeogo Francis Igwe, the traditional ruler of Ndufu-Alike in Ikwo Local Government Area and father of the immediate past Deputy Governor, Kelechi Igwe, by suspected armed men on Sunday morning.
The incident occurred along the Nwakpu axis of the council area, as the traditional ruler was reportedly on his way to church.
This was contained in a press statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Monday Uzor, and obtained by Channels Television.
Governor Nwifuru described the development as deeply troubling and totally unacceptable, noting that acts of criminality against innocent citizens, especially revered community leaders, will not be tolerated in Ebonyi State.
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While expressing solidarity with the family of the abducted royal father and the people of Ikwo Local Government Area, the governor assured that the Ebonyi State Government had immediately activated all security and intelligence mechanisms to ensure the safe and prompt rescue of the monarch.
“All security agencies in the state have been directed to work in synergy to track down the perpetrators and bring them to justice.”
He stressed that the government would deploy all available state apparatus and resources to unmask those behind the criminal act and prevent any recurrence.
He further called on residents of the state, particularly those in Ikwo and surrounding communities, to remain calm but vigilant and to provide useful information that could assist security agencies in their ongoing operations.
Nwifuru reiterated the commitment of his administration to the protection of lives and property across the state and reassured the people that Ebonyi State would not be allowed to become a safe haven for criminals.
He also urged the perpetrators to release the abducted traditional ruler unconditionally, emphasizing that the full weight of the law would be brought to bear on anyone found culpable.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it will conduct a mock presidential election ahead of the 2027 poll.
INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, said this on Sunday during a Citizens’ Townhall on the 2026 Electoral Act.
“Moving forward, we will conduct mock presidential elections to ensure that transmission across state lines is seamless before the actual vote,” Amupitan said during the event held in Abuja.
Debates about the real-time transmission of election results have dominated headlines in Nigeria in recent months, especially before the passage and signing of the Electoral Act 2026.
READ ALSO: 2027 Elections Will Be Our Best Yet, INEC Assures Nigerians
It was the subject of intense debates in the 2027 presidential election after INEC reported a “glitch” in the transmission of the results for that poll.
But Amupitan, a professor of law, is assuring Nigerians of better days ahead, one year ahead of the general elections.
“Regarding the ‘glitch’ that was blamed for issues in 2023, let me be clear: the glitch is eliminated. It will not surface again,” he added.
“My audit of the 2023 election showed that while the BVAS (Bimodal Voter Accreditation System) was tested in state-level elections like Osun and Ekiti, it was not properly tested for the scale of an interstate presidential election.”
INEC assured Nigerians of a credible election, promising to eliminate glitches.
“By the grace of God, the 2027 election will be the best Nigeria has ever had. The electorate of 2027 is more aware and understands the direct correlation between elections and national development,” Amupitan said.
“We want a process that guarantees the legitimacy and confidence people want to see in their system. When people trust INEC and their leaders, the country will move forward.”
He said INEC is putting in the needed work to ensure that next year’s polls are credible.