#Nigeriadecide2023 | No Media, No Citizen Or Election Observer Is Permitted To Announce Election Results - INEC

As Nigerians will be going to the poll on Saturday, February 25, 2023, to cast their votes to elect a new president and senators that will take over from the present administration on May 29, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reminded media organizations, citizens, local and international observers that it is not their responsibility to announce election results, as this is the sole responsibility of the INEC chairman.

INEC National Commissioner Festus Okoye conveyed this information while receiving IT facilities from Community Life Project (CLP) and Ford Foundation in support of the INEC Citizens Contact Centre (ICCC) on Thursday in Abuja.


Okoye reiterated that the electoral act does not under any condition, permit any other person other than the commission's chairman, to announce the results of the presidential election.

In his words, “No media organization, no individual, no citizen, no domestic or international election observer is permitted under the condition or under the law to announce election results."

“As some of you are aware, the chairman of INEC is the Electoral Commissioner for the whole of the Federation and the Returning Officer for the presidential election. So, only the chairman of the commission is permitted by the constitution and the Electoral Act to announce the presidential results", Okoye added.

The national commissioner also noted that no other means of identification would be used on Election Day, other than the PVC while issuing a warning to those without Permanent Voters Card (PVC) not to approach the polling units.

Okoye stressed that INEC remained committed to the use Bimadal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for voters’ accreditation and uploading of election results to its Result Viewing Portal (IReV).