The winner of the 2023 presidential election must score the highest number of votes and the required two-thirds spread in the 36 States of the federation as contained in the Electoral Act 2022 and the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said.
The national commissioner and chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye stated this on Monday in Lagos at a two-day media capacity-building workshop on the commission’s advancements, innovations, plans for the 2023 general elections, and important issues in the Electoral Act 2022.
He added that there will be a second election between the candidate with the most votes and the candidate with the spread, but that it may not necessarily be the second highest vote-getter.
To win the governorship, a candidate must receive the highest number of votes as well as a quarter of the votes cast in two-thirds of the state’s Local Government Areas.
If a candidate falls short of this mark, a new election must be held by the Commission and only two political parties and two candidates will be on the ballot for the second election, or runoff, if necessary, according to Okoye.
The presidential candidate who scored the highest number of valid votes across the federation, will come in first, he stated.
The INEC commissioner said that the Electoral Act 2022 has validated the technological innovations deployed by the commission.
The use of Smart Card Readers/Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), which was previously an administrative choice outlined in the commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections, has now been made official by INEC, Okoye added.
“It must be understood right away that the Smart Card Reader Machine, often known as the Card Reader or SCRM for short, represents a technological advancement in our electoral process.
“According to my general reading and my understanding of the literature surrounding the Smart Card Reader Machine, I can say in a few words that the Smart Card Reader Machine is a technological equipment set up to authenticate and validate a permanent voter’s card (PVC) issued by INEC on election day.”
“INEC’s motive, which became public when it introduced the technologically-based device, was to ensure a credible, transparent, free, and fair election for the country,” Okoye said. “Barring any technical mishap, breakdown, or malfunction.”
A mistake in a political party’s logo will not invalidate an election, according to Section 42 of the Electoral Act, he added, as all political parties will have the chance to check the political parties’ logos ahead of elections.
“Anyone or any group of people who assists or abets a political party, an aspirant, or a candidate in violating section 92(5)’s prohibition on the use of violence commits an offense and is subject to a fine of N500,000 or a sentence of three years in jail, or both, upon conviction.
A candidate, aspirant, or individual or group of individuals who use force or coerce the use of force during political campaigns are still subject to the penalties outlined in Section 93 of the Act.
