SENATOR RAISES CONCERNS OVER NIGERIA’S READINESS FOR REAL-TIME ELECTION REPORTING
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Senator representing Ebonyi Central, Kenneth Eze, has stated that Nigeria currently lacks the infrastructure for seamless, real-time electronic transmission of election results ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking on Sunday in Ohigbo-Amagu, Ezza South Local Government Area, Ebonyi, Eze addressed ongoing debates over amendments to the Electoral Act 2022, particularly those relating to result collation and transmission.
He noted that calls for full real-time transmission overlook challenges such as unstable electricity supply and limited technological capacity across the country.
“We must ask whether we have the infrastructure to support real-time transmission to the INEC Result Viewing portal,” he said.
“Do we have reliable electricity and the other essentials needed to sustain such an innovation?” Eze asked.
He emphasised that while electronic transmission is desirable, laws must align with practical realities on the ground. According to him, true real-time transmission can only be achieved through full electronic voting, not with paper ballots.
“You cannot speak of real-time transmission without electronic voting. Each ballot would need a microchip to transmit results instantly once cast,” he explained.
He explained that when votes are cast on paper, manually counted, and then entered into Form EC8A for upload, the process can no longer be considered real-time.
“Real-time means automatic transmission at the point of voting. Once counting and manual entry take place, time has already elapsed,” he added.
Eze clarified that the Senate has not rejected electronic transmission but is seeking a practical system to enhance current mechanisms.
He also revealed that proposed amendments would make the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) mandatory and eliminate manual accreditation.
“Any polling unit where the number of votes exceeds BVAS-accredited voters will have its results invalidated,” he said.
The senator highlighted logistical and power challenges during the 2023 Nigerian general election, noting that generators were supplied only at collation centres, not at every polling unit.
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He added that many BVAS devices were insufficiently charged, causing disruptions to voter accreditation and the uploading of results.
Eze urged citizens to trust the National Assembly to enact laws strengthening electoral transparency through feasible technological reforms.
On party primaries, he said amendments proposed mandatory direct primaries to replace the delegate system.
He described the proposal as a “game-changer” for deepening internal party democracy.
“Under the proposal, aspirants will test their popularity directly with party members.
“Disputes from manipulated primaries will be handled expeditiously by a designated Federal High Court,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports debate intensified after the 2023 polls, when INEC deployed BVAS and introduced the IReV portal amid delayed uploads and glitches.
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