The organisation said that the decision is a major setback to the country’s democratic development and a blow to ongoing efforts to restore public confidence in the electoral process.
The Electoral College Nigeria has expressed concern over the continued rejection of automatic electronic transmission of election results within Nigeria’s Electoral Act.
The organisation said that the decision is a major setback to the country’s democratic development and a blow to ongoing efforts to restore public confidence in the electoral process.
In a statement issued by its Executive Director, Kunle Lawal, the organisation warned that the refusal to adopt automatic electronic transmission undermines transparency, credibility, and accountability at a time when Nigerians are increasingly demanding integrity in governance and electoral processes.
According to Lawal, “The continued rejection of automatic electronic transmission of election results within Nigeria’s Electoral Act represents a significant setback to the country’s democratic development and undermines years of effort aimed at restoring public confidence in the electoral process. At a time when Nigerians are demanding transparency, credibility, and accountability in governance, resisting automatic result transmission sends the wrong signal and sustains the very vulnerabilities that have historically plagued our elections.”
He stressed that automatic result transmission is not a radical or experimental concept but a globally accepted safeguard that protects the integrity of votes cast by citizens and reduces the risk of manipulation between polling units and final collation centres.
“Automatic result transmission is not a radical innovation. It is a widely accepted safeguard designed to protect the integrity of votes cast by citizens. Its primary value lies in reducing human interference between the polling unit and the final collation centre,” Lawal stated.
He noted that in Nigeria’s electoral history, the period between voting at polling units and the collation of results has repeatedly proven to be the most vulnerable stage in the electoral chain, where manipulation and irregularities often occur.
“In Nigeria, this space between voting and collation has repeatedly been the most vulnerable point in the electoral chain. Ballot stuffing, result alteration, disappearance of result sheets, intimidation at collation centres, and deliberate delays have been recurring features of elections across different electoral cycles,” he said.
“Automatic transmission directly addresses these weaknesses by ensuring that results recorded at the polling unit are securely transmitted in real time to a central server, creating a verifiable digital trail.”
The organisation warned that rejecting this mechanism allows the continued dominance of manual processes in result collation, a system that, while not inherently fraudulent, has proven highly susceptible to manipulation in Nigeria’s political environment.
“The rejection of this mechanism perpetuates a system where manual processes dominate result collation. While manual collation is not inherently fraudulent, Nigeria’s experience has shown that it is dangerously susceptible to manipulation,” Lawal noted.
He added that from local government collation centres to state-level tallying points, results have frequently been altered under pressure, compromised by logistics failures, or hijacked by political actors who understand that control of the collation process often determines electoral outcomes.
“These realities are not speculative; they are documented in election observer reports, court proceedings, and public testimonies spanning multiple election years,” he said.
The Electoral College Nigeria also highlighted that discrepancies between polling unit results and final announced outcomes have repeatedly triggered disputes, lengthy litigation, and public distrust.
“Nigeria has repeatedly witnessed elections where outcomes announced at collation centres differ sharply from figures recorded at polling units. In many cases, citizens, party agents, and even electoral officials have raised alarms about discrepancies, only for these complaints to be buried under procedural complexity and delayed adjudication,” Lawal said.
“Election petitions drag on for months or years, by which time the damage to public trust has already been done. Automatic result transmission would not eliminate disputes entirely, but it would drastically reduce their scale and frequency by making manipulation far more difficult and easily traceable.”
Addressing common objections to automatic transmission, particularly concerns about infrastructure, connectivity, and cost, the organisation insisted that these challenges should not be used as excuses to avoid reform.
“Arguments against automatic transmission often cite concerns around infrastructure, connectivity, and cost. While these challenges deserve consideration, they should not be used as excuses for inaction. Nigeria already deploys technology in voter accreditation through devices that authenticate voters biometrically. If technology can be trusted to determine who votes, it should also be trusted to protect how those votes are counted,” Lawal said.
He further explained that connectivity issues are surmountable, noting that hybrid technological models allowing offline capture with later synchronization have been successfully implemented in comparable jurisdictions.
“Connectivity challenges are not insurmountable. Hybrid models that allow offline capture with delayed synchronization once connectivity is available have been successfully implemented in comparable jurisdictions. The issue, therefore, is not feasibility but political will,” he stated.
The group also rejected arguments suggesting that electronic transmission should remain optional or at the discretion of electoral authorities, warning that such discretion weakens accountability and creates room for selective application.
“Another common argument is that the law should leave result transmission optional or subject to the discretion of the electoral management body. This position weakens accountability. Discretion without firm legal backing creates uncertainty and opens the door to selective application,” Lawal said.
“A credible electoral framework must be clear, predictable, and binding. Automatic transmission should not be a guideline; it should be a legal obligation. When rules are firm, compliance improves, and public confidence follows.”
The organisation warned that rejecting automatic transmission could worsen voter apathy and deepen Nigeria’s legitimacy crisis, particularly among young people who increasingly question the value of participating in elections.
“The implications of rejecting automatic result transmission go beyond technicalities. It deepens voter apathy. Nigerians, especially young people, increasingly question the value of participating in elections when outcomes appear predetermined or easily manipulated,” Lawal said.
“Low turnout is not merely a civic issue; it is a legitimacy crisis. A democracy where citizens no longer believe their votes count cannot sustain stability or inclusive development. By refusing reforms that strengthen credibility, the system inadvertently discourages participation and alienates the very people it is meant to serve.”
Electoral College Nigeria further noted that the absence of automatic transmission increases the risk of post-election violence and unrest, as disputed results remain a major trigger for instability.
“Disputed results are a major trigger for violence and unrest. When citizens trust that results are transparently transmitted and cannot be altered behind closed doors, tensions reduce. Technology, in this sense, becomes a peace-building tool. Rejecting it keeps the country trapped in a cycle where elections are treated as zero-sum contests rather than expressions of popular will,” the statement added.
Lawal emphasised that automatic electronic transmission is not designed to benefit any political party or candidate but to strengthen democratic institutions and promote long-term stability.
“It is important to stress that automatic result transmission is not about favoring any political party or candidate. It is about strengthening institutions. Every party benefits from a credible process, even when outcomes are unfavorable,” he said.
“Democracies mature when political actors accept that losing an election is not equivalent to exclusion from the system. Credible elections create space for constructive opposition, policy competition, and long-term national stability.”
The organisation warned that Nigeria now faces a critical choice between maintaining flawed electoral processes that generate mistrust and controversy or embracing reforms aligned with global best practices.
“Nigeria stands at a crossroads. The choice is between clinging to processes that have consistently produced controversy and mistrust, or embracing reforms that align with global best practices and local realities. Automatic result transmission is one such reform,” Lawal stated.
He called on lawmakers, policymakers, and all stakeholders to urgently reconsider the rejection of automatic electronic transmission of results in the Electoral Act.
“Electoral College Nigeria therefore calls on lawmakers, policymakers, and all stakeholders to reconsider the rejection of automatic result transmission in the Electoral Act. The integrity of elections is not a partisan issue; it is a national imperative,” he said.
“Protecting the vote is the foundation of accountable governance, social cohesion, and national progress. Any legal framework that weakens this protection does a disservice to the Nigerian people.”
Lawal added that Nigeria deserves an electoral system that clearly reflects the will of its citizens and strengthens democratic legitimacy.
“Nigeria deserves an electoral system that reflects the will of its citizens clearly, transparently, and credibly. Automatic result transmission is a critical step toward that goal. To reject it is to accept avoidable flaws that have cost the nation trust, peace, and democratic legitimacy for far too long.”