Omokri Defends Electronic Transmission, Questions Feasibility of Real-Time Results in Nigeria

Omokri Defends Electronic Transmission, Questions Feasibility of Real-Time Results in Nigeria

Former presidential candidate and ambassador-designate Reno Omokri has said that calls by Peter Obi and other opposition figures for real-time electronic transmission of election results reflect weak grassroots party structures rather than genuine electoral reform concerns.

Omokri made the remarks on Wednesday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he addressed the intensifying national debate on electoral reforms, the Electoral Act amendment, and broader concerns about election credibility in Nigeria.

According to him, credible elections depend more on strong party presence at polling units than on technology alone. He argued that political parties serious about winning elections must deploy agents to every polling unit to monitor the voting process, witness counting, and sign official result sheets.

“If you have your party agents in every polling unit, it is impossible to rig. At the polling unit, the presiding officer signs the result and all party agents sign. If anything different is declared elsewhere, you can tender that result sheet in court,” Omokri said.

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He stressed that the legally recognised result is the physical EC8A form signed at the polling unit, not the electronically transmitted version. “The EC8A form signed by the presiding officer and party agents is the real result. If what is transmitted electronically differs from that physical document, it is the physical document that the court will rely on,” he added.

Omokri claimed that during the 2023 general elections, the Labour Party lacked agents in several polling units nationwide, particularly in areas where it performed poorly. He said this absence fueled suspicions of manipulation. “In polling units where they lost and did not have agents, they assumed they were cheated. The issue is not about real-time transmission. The issue is structure. Whether it is ADC or Labour Party, get your party agents in every polling unit in Nigeria,” he stated.

His comments come amid renewed controversy over proposals to amend the Electoral Act and whether INEC should be mandated to carry out compulsory real-time electronic transmission of election results.

Despite his criticism, Omokri clarified that he supports electronic transmission of election results, describing it as necessary for transparency and accountability. However, he warned against what he called emotional or unrealistic expectations regarding instantaneous nationwide transmission.

“I support electronic transmission of election results. Anyone who is patriotic should support that. But what some people are asking for is real-time electronic transmission, and that is not practicable, even in countries that are far more technologically advanced than Nigeria,” he said.

He explained that in countries like the United States, early results announced on television are typically media projections based on exit polls rather than official declarations by electoral authorities. “The official results are announced later by the electoral authorities. We saw the danger of relying on that in 2000, when the media wrongly declared a winner and had to reverse itself,” he noted.

According to him, electronic transmission is meant to enhance transparency and public participation, not replace manual collation or physical documentation. “Electronic transmission is not the substantive or primary way of declaring results. It is a backup meant for transparency and accountability. Even if you hack the electronic system, it does not change the physical result,” he said.

Omokri also cited Nigeria’s infrastructure limitations, questioning the feasibility of seamless real-time result transmission across thousands of polling units, including rural communities with limited or no network coverage. “If banks cannot guarantee 100 per cent real-time transfers, how do you expect INEC to do real-time transmission across thousands of polling units?” he asked, adding that connectivity gaps are not unique to Nigeria.

Responding to criticisms surrounding his nomination as ambassador by President Bola Tinubu, Omokri rejected claims of hypocrisy for accepting a government appointment after previously criticising the administration. According to him, he never categorically ruled out serving Nigeria under the current government.

“When the facts changed, I changed with them. I went to Chicago State University myself to verify the truth, even though it went against my political interest. I deal with facts, not emotions,” he said. He clarified that while he may have declined certain roles previously due to past comments, he never said he would not serve Nigeria. “As an ambassador, I’m going to work for Nigeria. I will be an ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he stated.

Omokri is among the nominees President Bola Tinubu forwarded to the Senate for ambassadorial screening and confirmation.

He also criticised human rights activist Omoyele Sowore, expressing concern over what he described as his approach to economic policy discussions. Referencing a comment attributed to Sowore suggesting cannabis cultivation as part of economic diversification, Omokri questioned the viability of such a proposal.

“This is a drug considered ‘Class B’ in the UK and banned in so many countries. And this man said that is the key to Nigeria’s economic survival?” Omokri said. He argued that if Nigeria’s soil is fertile enough for such crops, it should instead prioritise more valuable and widely accepted agricultural exports.

Omokri Defends Electronic Transmission, Questions Feasibility of Real-Time Results in Nigeria