A coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) has demanded that the National Assembly make real-time electronic transmission of election results mandatory in the ongoing amendment of Nigeria’s Electoral Act.
They warned that any attempt to make the process optional would undermine democracy and erode public trust in elections.
The groups — Coalition Against Corruption and Bad Governance (CACOBAG), Campaign for Democracy and Justice (CDJ), Campaign for Constitutionalism and Human Rights (CCHR), Centre for Credible Elections (CCE), and Centre for People’s Defence (CPD) — made their position known in a joint press statement issued yesterday.
The statement was signed by Toyin Raheem (CACOBAG), Idowu Taiwo (CCHR), Olutola Folorunsho (CPD), and Princess Segun Osarieme (CCE).
They described recent moves by some lawmakers to weaken provisions for electronic transmission as “worrisome, disturbing, and anti-democratic,” accusing certain members of the National Assembly of attempting to drag the country backward politically.
According to the coalition, credible elections remain the foundation of democracy and national stability, stressing that Nigeria cannot afford to continue conducting disputed polls more than three decades after the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election.
“Since June 12, there has hardly been any election in Nigeria that has enjoyed broad acceptance by the people,” the statement said.
“Weak processes and manipulation of results have continued to undermine citizens’ confidence in governance,” they added.
The CSOs recalled that late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua had admitted that the election which brought him to power was flawed and subsequently initiated reforms aimed at strengthening the electoral system.
They lamented that key recommendations of the Justice Uwais Electoral Reform Committee, widely praised by civil society groups, were never fully implemented.
They noted that the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had raised public hope for more transparent elections, adding that real-time electronic transmission of results is the logical next step toward ensuring credibility.
The groups argued that claims that Nigeria lacks the capacity for real-time transmission are unfounded, pointing out that digital payment systems and Point of Sale (POS) terminals already operate successfully even in remote communities.
“If Nigerians can transfer money instantly across the country using POS machines and online banking platforms, there is no justification for saying election results cannot be transmitted electronically in real time,” they said.
Describing electoral fraud as the “worst form of corruption,” the coalition maintained that manipulation of election results enables other forms of corruption to thrive.
They insisted that electronic transmission would drastically reduce opportunities for tampering with results at collation centres or during manual movement of materials.
“With real-time transmission, results are uploaded immediately after counting and are publicly visible. This level of transparency makes manipulation extremely difficult and easily detectable,” the statement added.
The CSOs also criticised what they called “arrogance of power” among political office holders, warning that lawmakers who oppose electoral transparency are acting against the will of the people.
The groups stressed that their advocacy is driven by national interest and the need to safeguard the future of coming generations.
“We must get it right in 2027. When the masses say yes, no individual or institution should say no. Nigerians want mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results,” the coalition declared.
