INEC Chair Amupitan to Audit IReV After 2023 Election Glitches

The newly confirmed Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has pledged to conduct a comprehensive audit of the INEC Results Viewing (IReV) portal to identify and address the technical failures that undermined public trust during the 2023 general elections.

Speaking during his Senate screening on Thursday, Amupitan said the audit would help restore confidence in Nigeria’s electoral system and improve the reliability of election technology ahead of future polls.

He noted that both the IReV portal and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) were introduced to enhance transparency and integrity in the electoral process, aligning with global best practices.

“I believe what happened in 2023 was subsumed as a glitch,” Amupitan said. “Before the election, my understanding, based on a review of Supreme Court decisions, was that there was no clarity as to the purpose of IReV.”

He explained that the Supreme Court had since clarified that IReV was not intended as an electronic collation system, but as a verification tool to ensure consistency between manually collated results and those uploaded electronically.

“The IReV was supposed to be a safeguard for comparison because the laws made by this distinguished Senate did not do away with manual collation,” he added. “However, IReV was supposed to provide some guarantee for checks and balances.”

Amupitan said his administration would audit the IReV infrastructure to uncover the root causes of the 2023 glitches and assess whether existing systems meet the country’s electoral needs.

“I have to audit the system, if I’m given the opportunity, to see what is actually wrong and whether we have what it takes as it is now,” he said. “Because it is not just INEC’s responsibility, but also that of agencies like NCC, NIMC, and service providers, who must work together to deliver technology Nigerians can trust.”

The INEC chief also blamed delayed release of election funds for some of the commission’s operational setbacks, despite legislation mandating that resources be made available at least a year before elections.

“Although it has been legislated that funds should be released a year before elections, this often does not happen in time, leaving the institution financially constrained,” he said.

Amupitan further promised to conduct a broader institutional audit to review INEC’s internal operations and constitutional limitations.

“We will look at the spirit and letter of the Constitution, as well as the laws made by the National Assembly,” he said. “We will use our knowledge to ensure that INEC is independent. And we will have an audit to see what those limiting factors are and deal with them accordingly.”

He pledged to uphold the autonomy of the commission and collaborate with the National Assembly to strengthen reforms guaranteeing free, fair, and credible elections.

Prof. Amupitan succeeds Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who stepped down as INEC Chairman on October 7, 2025.

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