Former officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have urged the National Assembly to make real-time electronic transmission of election results mandatory, warning that anything less could undermine electoral credibility.
His call comes as lawmakers prepare to harmonize different versions of the Electoral Act amendments, with real-time uploading of polling-unit results to the INEC results viewing portal (IREV) emerging as a major point of contention.
Former Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Mike Igini said the decision would not only affect election transparency but also the political survival of MPs before 2027.
He argued that manual tallying creates opportunities to alter the results, often disadvantaging candidates who do not have party support despite strong grassroots support.
“Publicly viewable consequences serve as a deterrent and will make such tampering visible and actionable,” Igini said.
He cited the high turnover in the National Assembly as evidence of weaknesses in the electoral process. According to him, only 25 out of 109 senators returned to the current tenth Senate, representing a 77 percent turnover rate. The House of Representatives showed a similar pattern, with turnover in recent assemblies ranging from 57 percent to 78 percent.
Igini said such instability undermines institutional continuity and drains public resources.
“This long-term instability breeds institutional amnesia and wastes scarce public resources on perpetual induction and retraining,” he said.
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Former commissioners say INEC already has the capacity
Jibrin Zarewa, a former REC in Katsina, said INEC had already started testing electronic transmission in by-elections in 2017 and has demonstrated its capacity to implement the system.
“If it is mandated in law, INEC is capable of implementing it,” he said.
Former REC in Zamfara, Asmaou Maikudi, described electronic transmission as viable and in line with global best practices, urging lawmakers to explicitly include it in the amended law.
Igini also dismissed concerns about network limitations, citing surveys conducted ahead of the 2023 elections that showed more than 97 percent network coverage across the country. He said INEC has successfully broadcast results in many off-cycle elections.
However, not all former officials support relying solely on real-time broadcasting. Former Federal Commissioner of INEC, Lai Olurode, warned that complete reliance on technology could create problems if the system failed.
He recommended a combination of electronic and manual matching methods to minimize the risks.
“Don't completely remove the element of human agency. You can't be too confident about machines either,” he said.
