E-Transmission Fears Grip Nigeria’s Political Class – Samson Itodo

 

The Executive Director of YIAGA Africa, Samson Itodo, has warned that Nigeria’s political elite are resisting the adoption of electronic transmission of election results largely out of fear of losing control over the process.

Itodo made the remarks on Sunday amid intensifying debate following the Senate’s passage of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2026, which notably excluded mandatory provisions for real-time electronic transmission of election results.

The Senate had passed the amendment bill last Wednesday but rejected compulsory electronic transmission—a decision that has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties, civil society groups, and concerned Nigerians.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Itodo acknowledged that no technological system is entirely immune to breaches but stressed that robust safeguards could significantly reduce vulnerabilities.

“What you do about those vulnerabilities is to put in place mechanisms that limit the extent of risk and prevent attacks, because no system in the world is completely insulated. Let’s be clear on that.

“But what appears to scare the political class is the power that electronic transmission brings,” he said.

Itodo explained that e-transmission strengthens transparency and acts as a deterrent to electoral manipulation, especially at the collation level, which he described as “the weakest link in the results management process.”

“With systems like iReV, results are collated at the polling unit, entered into the portal, and uploaded instantly, making them accessible to all stakeholders. By the time results reach the coalition centre, they are already visible to the public,” he noted.

He warned that abandoning the system could leave room for result manipulation at collation centres without immediate public scrutiny.

Itodo also cited elections in Nasarawa, Zamfara, and Abia states where electronic transmission enhanced credibility and transparency.

“If critics say electronic transmission doesn’t work, it clearly worked in these states. There are numerous instances where this approach strengthened the integrity of elections,” he added.

The Senate’s decision has sparked nationwide debate, with critics arguing that rejecting real-time electronic transmission risks undermining public confidence in future elections. In response to the controversy, the Senate has announced plans for an emergency sitting on Tuesday to review the matter.