Former Senator Shehu Sani said Wednesday that electronic transmission of election results cannot fully guarantee free and fair elections in Nigeria.
Sani made the remarks during an appearance on Channels TV while commenting on the National Assembly’s recent amendment of the Electoral Act. The Senate had approved electronic transmission of results while retaining manual collation as a backup, sparking national debate and protests outside the National Assembly.
“Electronic transfer does not mean that we’re going to have 100% free and fair election. There is no electoral system that those who intend to rig would not be able to circumvent,” Sani said.
He stressed that the integrity of elections depends on the intentions of those managing the process. “When there is a genuine commitment to fairness, elections will be credible. However, if there is a deliberate plan to manipulate the process, loopholes will always be found,” he said.
Sani also raised concerns about vote-buying and voter inducement, noting that laws alone cannot prevent such practices.
He said while he supports electronic transmission, the law must allow for manual collation in case of technical failures. “Election takes place in one day and it is expected that results will be transmitted the same day. If there is no provision for an alternative, what becomes of it?” he asked.
Sani added, “The central point is that we say there should be electronic transfer of results and where there is a glitch or failure, we go to the manual. There should not be anything wrong with that.”
