Quick Summary:
Senator Seriake Dickson argues that real-time electronic transmission of results is not the sole determinant of electoral transparency, stressing that Nigeria is not yet ready for full electronic voting.
Senator Seriake Dickson, a member of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, has said that real-time transmission of election results does not automatically guarantee transparent elections in Nigeria.
Speaking on Tuesday during an interview on Prime Time on Arise Television, Dickson addressed the ongoing Electoral Act amendment debate, noting that the country is not yet ready for electronic voting at polling units.
“INEC Already Uses iREV Without Legislative Backing”
The former Bayelsa State Governor explained that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has already been implementing aspects of electronic result transmission through its Result Viewing Portal (iREV) since the 2023 general elections, even without explicit legislative backing.
He added that the current amendment seeks to provide a legal framework to safeguard and protect the iREV process, rather than introduce a completely new system.
Context of the Debate
The Senate on Tuesday amended the Electoral Act, approving electronic transmission of results but allowing manual collation where technical issues arise.
The decision has sparked public criticism, with many Nigerians accusing lawmakers of weakening electoral transparency by creating loopholes that could enable manipulation.
Dickson’s remarks, however, suggest that the focus should be on strengthening INEC’s operational integrity and technological reliability, rather than on the semantics of “real-time” transmission.
