The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called on the Nigerian government to clarify the recently amended Electoral Act to make it more accessible and understandable to voters.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, made the appeal during a citizens’ town hall meeting organized by the Civil Society Network on Election Integrity and the Electoral Act in Abuja on Sunday.
Prof. Amupitan emphasized that Nigeria needs a simplified legislation written in clear language that can be easily understood by all citizens. His comments come amid ongoing debates over the real-time transmission of election results.
“We have gone through the Electoral Act from beginning to end, looking at contentious areas, especially in a country as diverse as Nigeria. What is needed is simple legislation in plain language, so every Nigerian can understand the provisions of every section,” he said.
On the issue of real-time result transmission, he explained challenges encountered during recent elections in the FCT, noting that while results from five area councils were transmitted promptly, those from Kabi ward were delayed due to network and accessibility issues.
“The problem is not the transmission itself but the adequacy of the network. In places like the FCT, results should be transmitted without difficulty, but coverage limitations made real-time reporting impossible,” Prof. Amupitan added.