By Muhammad Mamman
Concerns over the proposed Electoral Act in Nigeria have reignited debates around transparency in the country’s election process. Critics argue that the political class appears wary of measures that could limit manipulation of results, particularly the electronic transmission of election outcomes.
Samson Itodo, Executive Director of YIAGA Africa, highlighted the importance of such reforms, noting that “what the political class seems to be scared of is the power that electronic transmission of results has. It enhances the transparency of the process and also ensures it has a deterrent effect, because the lowest and perhaps weakest link of our entire results management process is at the collation level. That is where results are manipulated.”
Advocates of the Act say that integrating electronic transmission would strengthen public trust in elections and reduce incidences of fraud at key points in the vote-counting process. Meanwhile, some politicians have expressed resistance, citing concerns over cost, logistics, and the potential disruption of established power structures.
The debate underscores the tension between modernising Nigeria’s electoral system and entrenched interests seeking to maintain control over election outcomes.
