Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria, Andrew Mamedu, has argued that much of the public anxiety surrounding the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Result Viewing Portal (IReV) is based on misunderstanding, insisting that the system’s offline functionality strengthens — rather than weakens — electoral transparency.
Speaking in an interview with ARISE NEWS on Thursday, Mamedu said the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), which captures and uploads polling unit results, is designed to store data securely even without immediate internet connectivity.
“It is supposed to transmit it to two locations. Once the BVAS snaps the result, it transmits it to IReV for viewing purposes, and then to the INEC collation system, which is meant for collation,” he said.
“At the point of snapping, whether you have network or not, it’s like WhatsApp. If my phone is offline and someone calls me, once I turn on my data, I see the missed call. Once you snap the result and click send, it is retained in the memory that cannot be tampered with until you get to a point of network. As soon as it hits network, it transmits automatically.”
Mamedu maintained that the device is fortified with safeguards that make tampering extremely difficult.
“The machine has lots of safeguards built into it, including being geotagged. A BVAS meant for this location cannot function in another location because it is programmed for a specific polling unit. If one develops a fault, another has to be reprogrammed for that specific purpose,” he said.
“You cannot tamper with those that have been accredited. You cannot tamper with those that have voted. The same technology protects the results that have been snapped and uploaded. The memory keeps all of that.”
Citing international examples, he pointed to India’s electronic voting model as proof that large-scale offline-enabled systems can function effectively.
“India has a population of 1.4 billion, with over 800 million voters. They vote electronically and send results electronically offline. The machine is geolocated for that particular location, everyone casts their vote, and the machine is taken to the collation centre. Across that process, you are not able to tamper with what is in the system,” he said.
Addressing scepticism about Nigeria’s institutional weaknesses, Mamedu acknowledged past glitches — including issues during the 2023 presidential election — but said off-cycle polls demonstrate the technology’s reliability.
“Bayelsa gave us 89 per cent transmission. Kogi gave us 93 per cent. Imo gave us 94 per cent. That is data. And this was when it was not mandatory to use it,” he said.
“If we got up to 94 per cent when it was not compulsory, what happens if the law makes it mandatory? We would then deal with all the surrounding issues that gave us less than 100 per cent.”
On concerns about whether stored offline results could be altered before synchronisation, Mamedu insisted the system maintains a verifiable audit trail.
“It has timestamps. Those are evidence that you cannot tamper with. Politicians went to court to prevent the machines from being wiped because the timestamps and memory serve as proof. Clearly, for the machine itself, it has been proven that it cannot be tampered with,” he said.
However, he acknowledged uncertainty about secondary systems after upload.
“They are not sure when it is uploaded if it gets into a secondary system and whether it will be tampered with at that level. But for the machine itself, it is proven and proved that it cannot be tampered with.”
Mamedu argued that Nigerians must weigh the risks between human interference and technological safeguards.
“Which is the lesser evil? Leaving collation in the hands of individuals, where over the years we have seen manipulation, or trusting technology, which we have used and seen that to a large extent gives us the results we desire?” he asked.
“I would any day reduce the human element. Let us reduce the human element. We have straightened accreditation. Years ago, people used thousands of incident forms to manipulate results. Now they cannot. Where they wait for us is in the collation of results. We are saying let us straighten that out.”
On the Senate’s position restoring electronic transmission without explicitly mandating real-time upload, Mamedu said political will is key.
“When there is a will, there will be a way. Real-time is when you are connected to the internet. If the polling unit is offline, the result is saved in memory. Once it gets into network coverage, it transmits automatically. That should not be an excuse not to use the technology,” he said.
He also highlighted the scale of INEC’s technology investment, noting that over ₦200 billion of its more than ₦1 trillion budget is allocated to technology.
“About 20 per cent of the budget this year is for technology. We expect results. We expect that we should maximise the technology and let it work for the people,” he said.
Mamedu concluded that the debate is ultimately about citizens’ rights.
“It is beyond having 30 governors in one political party. It is of a higher stake than the tax bills we are debating. This determines who becomes president. If you perform well, we bring you back. If you do not perform well, we vote you out. Let our votes count,” he said.
“It is not about loving technology. It is about the rights of citizens to hire and fire. That should not be tampered with.”
Boluwatife Enome
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