Timothy Omobude 
A foremost civil society group in Nigeria, Conference of Non Governmental Organizations (CONGOS) has condemned the conflicting newly passed electoral act supporting both manually and electronic transmission of election result.
They said the position of the Nigeria national assembly on the new law presents compromise and raises serious concerns about the integrity and credibility of future elections.
Comrade (Dr) Bartholomew Okoudo FCS, ppl and Comrade Ibrahim Momoh, president and director of publicity respectively in a press statement made available to DAILY-FLASH in Benin City, the Edo State capital said Nigeria recent electoral history shows that manual processes are the weakest link in the country’s elections prone to manipulation, delays, human interference, and post-election disputes.
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According to them; the introduction of optional transmission system risks undermining the gains recorded through technology driven reforms, particularly electronic transmission, which has proven to enhance transparency, speed, and public confidence in the process.
‘Rather than strengthening trust, this approach may reopen loopholes that technology was meant to close.
Electoral reforms should be guided by the principles of credibility, certainty, and the will of the people, not political convenience’
‘Any framework that allows conflicting results (manual versus electronic) creates ambiguity and provides fertile ground for electoral malpractice.
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CONGOS further outline their demands as follows:
- The House of Representatives to critically review this provision in the interest of democratic integrity.
- The National Assembly prioritizes a clear, unambiguous, and technology forward transmission process.
- The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to maintain its commitment to transparent and verifiable elections.
- Civil society, the media, and citizens remain vigilant and engaged throughout the legislative process.
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They noted that Nigeria democracy deserves reforms that are forward driven, not backward, the credibility of our elections is not negotiable.
