Chuks Okocha in Abuja
A pro-election non-governmental organisation, Yiaga Africa, has weighed into the debate of whether or not the media can publish election results, standing with the media on this.
In a statement, the Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, said the media could report results that had been officially announced at polling units because those results were already in the public domain.
Reacting to questions, Itodo said, ‘’To address this issue, it is important to understand the election results management process. Election results are first announced at the polling unit level and immediately made public through verbal declaration and the posting of result sheets.
‘’The purpose of this public announcement is to promote transparency. Once results are announced at the polling unit, they become public information.
‘’Furthermore, the introduction of the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) was designed to deepen transparency in the electoral process.
‘’The objective is to make results accessible to citizens and stakeholders, enabling them to follow the results management process while reducing opportunities for manipulation during collation.
“In that context, the media can report results that have already been officially announced at polling units because those results are already in the public domain.
‘’This is particularly important given the widespread concerns and distrust surrounding the results management process.
‘’Historically, the collation stage has often been viewed as the weakest link in the electoral process and the point at which political actors may seek to compromise outcomes. Media and citizen oversight therefore serve several important purposes.”