News Investigators/ A civil society organisation, the Coalition Against Corruption and Bad Governance (CACOBAG), has questioned the Senate’s position on the electronic transmission of election results without a mandatory “real-time” provision.
The Chairman of CACOBAG, Toyin Raheem, raised the concern in a statement issued on Wednesday in Lagos.
He described the amended Electoral Act, which accommodates electronic transmission of results without making it mandatory and real-time, as ineffective.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Senate on Tuesday rescinded its earlier decision on the Electoral Act amendment, in which it rejected the mandatory electronic transmission of election results from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Result Viewing Portal after vote counting.
The upper chamber subsequently re-amended the Electoral Act to allow electronic transmission of results following public outcry over its earlier rejection.
However, the latest provision includes a caveat that in the event of internet failure, Form EC8A will serve as the primary means of result collation.
In spite of the revision, the amendment does not make electronic transmission mandatory. Instead, it permits electronic transmission while providing an alternative in cases of network failure.
Reacting, Raheem described the proposal as ineffective and incapable of guaranteeing credible elections in 2027.
He said the senate’s position defeated the purpose of adopting technology to strengthen electoral integrity.
“What is the essence of electronic transmission that is not real-time and not mandatory?” he queried.
Raheem also expressed doubts about the commitment of some lawmakers to genuine electoral reforms.
“The battle has just begun,” he said.
Mr Raheem urged lawmakers not to frustrate the will of Nigerians ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“They are refusing to give the electorate what is needed to safeguard the sanctity of the 2027 general elections,” he said.
He warned that citizens would resist any attempt to undermine credible polls.
“We are not going to accept their antics. Nigeria is not theirs alone; it belongs to all of us,” he said.
According to him, no public office holder is superior to other citizens.
“None of them is superior to other Nigerians. The positions they occupy are temporary, and any Nigerian could be there tomorrow,” he added.
Mr Raheem called on the National Assembly to reconsider its stance in the interest of democracy.
“The National Assembly should be prepared. There is no retreat, no surrender. The wishes of the masses must prevail,” he said.
He maintained that only compulsory, real-time electronic transmission of results could guarantee transparency and restore public confidence in elections.
NAN