Electronic Transmission of Election Results Must Remain Mandatory – Adegboruwa

Electronic Transmission of Election Results Must Remain Mandatory – Adegboruwa

Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, has warned that any attempt to weaken the electronic transmission of election results in Nigeria’s Electoral Act would undermine the country’s democratic process and compromise public confidence in elections.

Adegboruwa issued the warning in a statement sent to Vanguard on Monday, expressing concern over ongoing developments in the National Assembly regarding the proposed Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2026. He described it as “worrisome and baffling” that, in 21st-century Nigeria, where government ministries and agencies are transitioning to paperless systems, lawmakers appear reluctant to entrench compulsory electronic transmission of results.

Highlighting Nigeria’s history of electoral fraud, corruption, and manipulation, Adegboruwa emphasized that any move that allows human interference in the collation and transmission of results would compromise the sanctity of the ballot. “The painful experience over the years is that successive elections have been marred by fraud, especially in collation and transmission. To expose the people’s will to the slightest risk of rigging is unacceptable,” he said.

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According to the SAN, the most effective path to electoral transparency is reducing human involvement in determining outcomes. He urged lawmakers, as representatives of the people, to reflect the collective will of Nigerians and ensure that the final version of the Electoral Act makes electronic transmission of results mandatory.

Adegboruwa’s stance resonates with civil society groups, opposition parties, and labour organisations, including the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), which has warned of potential protests or election boycotts if the law does not mandate real-time electronic transmission. Opposition figures such as Peter Obi have also voiced support, joining calls for the National Assembly to strengthen transparency safeguards in the electoral process.

Technical experts, including the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), have rejected arguments against electronic result transmission, insisting that the technology can enhance efficiency, integrity, and credibility in elections. The debate has intensified as Nigerians await a final amendment to the Electoral Act, with public trust and democratic standards at stake.

Adegboruwa stressed that the National Assembly has a sacred duty to safeguard the integrity of elections, ensuring that only candidates genuinely chosen by the people emerge victorious. Weakening the electronic transmission provision, he said, would be a step backward for democracy and could erode confidence in future elections.

Electronic Transmission of Election Results Must Remain Mandatory – Adegboruwa