Electoral College of Nigeria slams Senate’s rejection of real-time results transmission

The Electoral College of Nigeria has criticized the Senate’s continued refusal to make automatic electronic transmission of election results mandatory in the Electoral Act, calling the decision a setback for democratic reforms.

In a statement, the group’s Executive Director, Kunle Lawal, said resisting mandatory electronic transmission weakens transparency and undermines public confidence in the country’s elections.

“Automatic result transmission is not a radical innovation,” Lawal said. “It is a widely accepted safeguard designed to protect the integrity of votes cast by citizens. Its primary value lies in reducing human interference between polling units and final collation centers, the stage most vulnerable in Nigeria’s electoral process.”

Lawal highlighted repeated electoral malpractices, including ballot stuffing, result alteration, missing result sheets, and intimidation at collation centers, saying these issues make real-time electronic transmission essential for creating a verifiable digital record.

He warned that manual collation, while not inherently fraudulent, leaves room for manipulation and prolonged post-election disputes. “Nigeria has repeatedly witnessed elections where outcomes announced at collation centers differ sharply from figures recorded at polling units. Complaints raised by citizens, party agents, and even electoral officials are often buried under procedural delays,” Lawal said.

According to him, automatic transmission would not eliminate disputes entirely but would drastically reduce their scale by making manipulation more difficult and easily traceable. He also dismissed concerns over infrastructure or connectivity, noting that hybrid systems allowing offline data capture and later synchronization have worked effectively in other countries.

Lawal rejected proposals to make electronic transmission optional, insisting it should be a legal obligation rather than left to the discretion of electoral authorities. “A credible electoral framework must be clear, predictable, and binding. Automatic transmission should not be a guideline; it should be a legal requirement,” he said.

He further warned that failing to adopt the reform could deepen voter apathy, fuel post-election disputes, and erode democratic legitimacy. “Nigerians, especially young people, increasingly question the value of voting when outcomes appear predetermined or easily manipulated. Low turnout is not just a civic issue; it is a crisis of legitimacy,” Lawal added.

The Electoral College urged lawmakers to reconsider their position, emphasising that protecting the integrity of votes is a national imperative. “Nigeria deserves an electoral system that reflects the will of its citizens clearly, transparently, and credibly. Rejecting automatic result transmission is to accept flaws that have long eroded trust, peace, and democratic legitimacy.”