NASS Failed Nigerians On E-Transmission Of Election Results, Says YIAGA

The Executive Director of YIAGA Africa, Samson Itodo, has said that lawmakers missed an opportunity to write their names in gold by strengthening electoral transparency during the amendment of the Electoral Act 2026.

Itodo made the remark on Sunday at the Citizen’s Townhall, a public discussion focused on the Electoral Act 2026, held in Abuja.

Speaking, he criticised the retention of the proviso permitting manual transmission of election results in cases where electronic transmission fails due to network issues.

According to him, the inclusion of the clause undermines the fundamental objective that drove the push to amend the Electoral Act 2022, which he said was to minimise human interference and enhance transparency in the electoral process.

“Some call this the elephant in the room, but I will say that this was a missed opportunity for Nigeria and this was a moment our political leaders had the opportunity of writing their names in gold by giving Nigerians what they demand,” he said.

He stressed that eliminating the proviso would have maximised the benefits of electronic transmission of results, noting that digital processes limit manipulation and promote openness.

“I just wished that the lawmakers eliminated that particular proviso. This is why we made a call to them to commence the process of amending that Act and just delete that particular proviso.

“That way, as a country we will maximise the utility of electronic transmission of results because it limits human interference, it makes the whole process open and transparent. If politicians are not scared I see no reason why this was not considered in its full breadth,” he added.

Recall that on February 18, President Bola Tinubu signed the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill 2026 into law after its passage by the National Assembly, following months of debate over the mode of transmitting election results ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Before the signing, the bill generated heated debates, with lawmakers and prominent Nigerians divided over the method for the transmission of election results ahead of the 2027 general elections.

But Itodo maintained that allowing manual transmission where electronic systems fail weakens the reform’s integrity and could erode public confidence in the electoral process, insisting that the manual clause should be reviewed and revised accordingly.