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

The Electoral College of Nigeria has faulted the continued rejection of automatic electronic transmission of election results in the Electoral Act, describing the move as a setback to democratic reforms.

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

Lawal argued that automatic transmission is a widely accepted safeguard that reduces human interference between polling units and collation centres, a stage he described as the most vulnerable in Nigeria’s electoral process.

He said, ““The continued rejection of automatic electronic transmission of election results within Nigeria’s Electoral Act represents a significant setback to the country’s democratic development and undermines years of effort aimed at restoring public confidence in the electoral process. At a time when Nigerians are demanding transparency, credibility, and accountability in governance, resisting automatic result transmission sends the wrong signal and sustains the very vulnerabilities that have historically plagued our elections.”

“Automatic result transmission is not a radical innovation. 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 the polling unit and the final collation centre,” Lawal stated.

According to him, ballot stuffing, result alteration, disappearance of result sheets and intimidation at collation centres have repeatedly tainted elections, making real-time electronic transmission necessary to create a verifiable digital trail.

He warned that retaining manual collation, though not inherently fraudulent, leaves room for manipulation and prolonged post-election disputes.

“Nigeria has repeatedly witnessed elections where outcomes announced at collation centres differ sharply from figures recorded at polling units. In many cases, citizens, party agents, and even electoral officials have raised alarms about discrepancies, only for these complaints to be buried under procedural complexity and delayed adjudication,” Lawal said. 

“Election petitions drag on for months or years, by which time the damage to public trust has already been done. Automatic result transmission would not eliminate disputes entirely, but it would drastically reduce their scale and frequency by making manipulation far more difficult and easily traceable.” 

The group dismissed concerns over infrastructure and connectivity, noting that hybrid systems allowing offline capture and later synchronisation have worked in other countries.

Lawal also rejected proposals to make electronic transmission optional, insisting that it should be a legal obligation rather than left to the discretion of electoral authorities.

He cautioned that failure to adopt automatic transmission could deepen voter apathy, fuel post-election disputes and undermine democratic legitimacy.

“Another common argument is that the law should leave result transmission optional or subject to the discretion of the electoral management body. This position weakens accountability. Discretion without firm legal backing creates uncertainty and opens the door to selective application,” Lawal said.

“A credible electoral framework must be clear, predictable, and binding. Automatic transmission should not be a guideline; it should be a legal obligation. When rules are firm, compliance improves, and public confidence follows.

“The implications of rejecting automatic result transmission go beyond technicalities. It deepens voter apathy. Nigerians, especially young people, increasingly question the value of participating in elections when outcomes appear predetermined or easily manipulated,” Lawal said.

“Low turnout is not merely a civic issue; it is a legitimacy crisis. A democracy where citizens no longer believe their votes count cannot sustain stability or inclusive development. By refusing reforms that strengthen credibility, the system inadvertently discourages participation and alienates the very people it is meant to serve.”

The organisation urged lawmakers to reconsider their stance, stressing 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. Automatic result transmission is a critical step toward that goal. To reject it is to accept avoidable flaws that have cost the nation trust, peace, and democratic legitimacy for far too long.”

The post Electoral College faults Senate’s rejection of real-time results transmission appeared first on Vanguard News.