The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will take a “sensitive decision” on the electronic transmission of election results based on Nigeria’s current realities.
His remarks follow the recent approval of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill by the Nigerian Senate, which authorises the electronic transmission of election results from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
The bill, however, provides that manual transmission may be adopted in cases of network or communication failure.
The Senate’s approval came after days of protests by civil society organisations demanding that lawmakers mandate real-time electronic transmission of results from polling units.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE NEWS, Dare assured Nigerians that the president, whom he described as a committed democrat, would act in the country’s best interest.
“I can assure you that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a renowned democrat, will do what is right, but it will not be in isolation from the realities of our country,” he said.
Dare questioned the feasibility of a fully real-time electronic process, arguing that no country operates a completely flawless electronic transmission system.
“There’s no 100 per cent real-time transmission anywhere. Are you telling me that this country, as it is, is networked enough to have a 100 per cent electronic process?” he asked.
The debate over electronic transmission remains a contentious issue in Nigeria’s electoral reforms, with stakeholders divided over the country’s technological readiness and the need to enhance transparency in future elections.
