A civil society organisation, the Leadership Orientation and Basic Rights Advocacy Centre (LOBRAC), has called on the Senate to urgently approve proposed amendments to the Electoral Act that would make real-time electronic transmission of election results mandatory.
The group said the amendment, contained in Clause 10, Section 3 of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, is critical to strengthening transparency and restoring public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process.
In a communiqué jointly signed by its Executive Director, Mr Stanley Okafor, and National Secretary, Mr Franklin Asiegbu, and issued on Monday in Awka, LOBRAC expressed concern over what it described as the Senate’s delay in approving the amendment.
According to the organisation, the proposed change seeks to remove the discretionary powers currently granted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the mode of transmitting election results.
LOBRAC argued that allowing INEC discretion on result transmission has contributed to repeated controversies surrounding election outcomes, thereby undermining trust in the electoral system.
“The amendment is critical to strengthening Nigeria’s democratic process. Retaining discretion for INEC on the transmission method has contributed to controversies surrounding election outcomes and weakened public confidence,” the group stated.
It warned that failure to mandate electronic transmission of results could stall progress toward achieving credible and transparent elections in the country.
The group noted that Section 60 of the existing Electoral Act provides for manual recording of results at polling units and also empowers INEC to determine how such results are transmitted.
This provision, LOBRAC said, has been widely criticised by Nigerians, especially following disputes arising from previous elections.
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“Compelling electronic transmission of results directly from polling units will address recurring concerns raised after past elections and significantly strengthen transparency in the electoral process,” the communiqué added.
LOBRAC further disclosed plans to collaborate with labour unions and other key stakeholders to intensify advocacy for the approval of the amendment, which it said aligns with the collective interest of Nigerians and the consolidation of democracy.
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