By Abdul-Ganiyy Akanbi,Abuja <\/p>\n
Members of the Arewa Grassroots Leaders Assembly (AGLA), has commended the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for what they described as significant strides in electoral integrity and reform recorded in recent elections conducted in the country.<\/p>\n
Addressing journalists during a peaceful solidarity rally at the INEC headquarters in Abuja, the National President of AGLA, Mr. Onogu Collins, said the gathering was not in condemnation, but in commendation of the Commission\u2019s recent performance.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have gathered peacefully today at the headquarters of INEC to lend our voice, not in condemnation but in commendation. This is a solidarity protest and a protest of encouragement. Nigeria sees the progress, and we ask that it continues,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Collins praised the leadership of the INEC Chairman, Professor George Amupitan, stating that since assuming office in October 2025, he has demonstrated \u201cadministrative will, institutional courage, and commitment to electoral reform.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to the group, the Commission successfully conducted three major electoral exercises within a short period \u2014 the Anambra State Governorship Election, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council Elections, and by-elections in Kano and Rivers States.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese elections, by domestic and international observers, were largely peaceful, procedurally transparent, technologically progressive, and administratively coordinated,\u201d Collins stated.<\/p>\n
AGLA specifically commended improvements to the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV), describing the upgrades as a measurable step forward in Nigeria\u2019s electoral technology evolution.<\/p>\n
Collins listed key enhancements observed during the FCT Area Council elections and subsequent by-elections, including improved server uptime, faster upload speeds, and dual-layer validation mechanisms requiring presiding officers to upload polling unit results sheets and input party scores into the BVAS device.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe upgraded IReV system demonstrated improved server stability and faster upload speeds compared to previous electoral cycles. The system architecture ensured that votes entered could not exceed accredited voters, thereby protecting result integrity,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He added that the digital audit trail generated traceable metadata such as device ID and upload timestamps, supporting post-election audit capability and reinforcing public confidence.<\/p>\n
\u201cCitizens and political parties were able to view polling unit results in near real-time, reinforcing electoral openness,\u201d Collins noted.<\/p>\n
While commending the Commission, the group urged INEC not to relent but to consolidate on the gains recorded.<\/p>\n
\u201cElectoral reform is not an event; it is a journey. We urge the Chairman and the Commission to strengthen result management systems, expand technology deployment, deepen staff training, and collaborate with relevant stakeholders to establish backup networks in areas with limited connectivity,\u201d Collins said.<\/p>\n
He also called on political actors, media organisations, and citizens to support electoral institutions constructively and avoid misinformation capable of eroding public trust.<\/p>\n
\u201cNigeria\u2019s democracy is safe when elections are credible. Concerns should be raised responsibly and factually,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Responding, an INEC National Commissioner, Mr. Abdullahi Zuru thanked the group for the show of support and assured Nigerians that the Commission would not relent in its mandate.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe shall not relent. We will continue to ensure that whatever is necessary to make our democracy thrive, we shall do it. All we ask is the understanding and cooperation of Nigerians,\u201d Zuru said.<\/p>\n
He explained that the INEC Chairman was away on official assignment, but would be briefed on the visit and the group\u2019s message of encouragement.<\/p>\n
Zuru emphasized that all actions taken by the Commission are in the national interest.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything done under his leadership is done in the name and interest of Nigeria. We remain committed to progress and continuous improvement,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n
The solidarity rally concluded with calls for sustained transparency, protection of votes, and continued technological advancement in Nigeria\u2019s electoral process.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Abdul-Ganiyy Akanbi,Abuja Members of the Arewa Grassroots Leaders Assembly (AGLA), has commended the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for what they described as significant strides in electoral integrity and reform recorded in recent elections conducted in the country. Addressing journalists during a peaceful solidarity rally at the INEC headquarters in Abuja, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11427,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[974,3876,1679],"class_list":["post-11426","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-religion","tag-commendation","tag-condemnation","tag-solidarity"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11426","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11426"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11426\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11428,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11426\/revisions\/11428"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11427"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11426"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11426"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11426"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}