The Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) has issued a stinging condemnation of the Senate’s decision to reject the mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results in the Electoral Amendment Bill.
During a plenary session on Wednesday, the Senate voted to maintain the current provision in Clause 60 of the 2022 Electoral Act. This leaves the mode of result transmission to the discretion of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), a move CHRICED describes as a deliberate attempt to undermine the integrity of the 2027 general elections.
The organization expressed disappointment in the National Assembly, characterizing the body as a rubber stamp for the presidency that lacks the political will to champion reforms empowering the Nigerian electorate.
By opting out of mandatory electronic transmission, the group argues that Nigeria is diverging from global democratic trends seen in countries like Brazil, India, and the United States, as well as African neighbors like Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa. CHRICED maintains that the lawmakers have chosen to preserve a manual collation process that is historically prone to delays and interference.
“Nigerians know too well that election rigging rarely happens at the polling unit; it happens in the shadows of collation centres,” the organization stated.
The rights group dismissed common justifications for the rejection such as poor network coverage and cybersecurity threats as unconvincing. They argued that if digital banking and telecommunications platforms can successfully process massive financial data in real time across Nigeria, the transmission of election results is entirely feasible.
CHRICED warned that this decision targets the aspirations of young Nigerians and civil society groups while favoring entrenched political interests and collation gatekeepers. The group further cautioned that the move could increase voter apathy and heighten the risk of post-election instability due to a widening trust deficit.
In its call to action, the center urged youth movements, labor unions, and professional bodies to exert sustained civic pressure on the National Assembly to reverse the decision.
“Electoral integrity is not a privilege granted by politicians, it is a right that citizens must defend,” the organization added.
CHRICED concluded by calling on all democratic stakeholders to prioritize national interest over partisan gain, demanding an electoral process that reflects the true voice of the people rather than the preferences of the political elite.
