By Peter Adelowo
The Social Democratic Party, SDP, has called on the National Assembly to provide an unambiguous legislative mandate for the electronic transmission of election results in the ongoing amendment of the Electoral Act.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Araba Rufus Aiyenigba, in Abuja, the party expresses concern over what it described as resistance by the leadership of the 10th Senate to reforms that will strengthen transparency and credibility in Nigeria’s electoral process.
The statement says Nigerians had, during public hearings on the Electoral Act (Repeal and Enactment) Bill 2026, clearly demanded real-time electronic transmission of results to enhance public trust.
According to the statement the party maintained that technologies such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) are critical tools for reducing human error and preventing manipulation of results.
It adds that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has the capacity and infrastructure to transmit results electronically if backed by clear legal provisions.
The statement therefore urges lawmakers to ensure that the amended Electoral Act contains a definitive clause mandating real-time electronic transmission of results by polling unit officials.
It also calls on citizens and civil society organisations to remain vigilant ahead of the 2027 general elections to safeguard Nigeria’s democracy.
