Electronic transmission of election results non-negotiable — Adegboruwa

Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, has described the electronic transmission of election results as non-negotiable, warning that any attempt to weaken the provision in the amended Electoral Act would undermine Nigeria’s democratic process.

Adegboruwa made the assertion in a statement sent to Vanguard on Monday, expressing concern over emerging developments in the National Assembly regarding the proposed amendment of the Electoral Act.

He said it was worrisome and baffling that in 21st-century Nigeria—where government ministries, departments and agencies are transitioning to paperless systems—the National Assembly appears reluctant to entrench compulsory electronic transmission of election results.

According to him, Nigeria’s electoral history has been plagued by fraud, corruption and manipulation, particularly during the collation and transmission of results, noting that any move that exposes the process to human interference amounts to a disregard for the sanctity of the ballot.

“The painful experience over the years is that successive elections have been marred by electoral fraud and manipulation, especially in the collation and transmission of results. To suggest that the will of the people be subjected to the slightest risk of rigging is unacceptable,” he said.

Adegboruwa argued that the surest path to electoral transparency is the reduction of human involvement in determining election outcomes, stressing that lawmakers, as representatives of the people, must reflect the collective will of Nigerians in their legislative actions.

He maintained that at Nigeria’s current stage of political development, electronic transmission of results should no longer be a subject of debate or controversy.

“The National Assembly has a sacred duty to guarantee the integrity of elections and ensure that only candidates genuinely chosen by the people emerge victorious,” he said.

The senior lawyer called on legislators to ensure that the final amended version of the Electoral Act clearly provides for compulsory electronic transmission of election results, urging them to align with public expectations and democratic best practices.

He said he was joining other well-meaning Nigerians in appealing to the National Assembly to safeguard the credibility of future elections by strengthening, rather than weakening, the electoral framework.

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