DDM NEWS reports that the renewed debate over electronic transmission of election results has once again exposed the deep anxieties within Nigeria’s political establishment, following fresh comments by Samson Itodo, Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, who laid bare what he described as the real reasons behind the Senate’s resistance to making e-transmission compulsory.
Speaking during an appearance on Sunday Politics, a current affairs programme aired on Channels Television, Itodo offered a candid and far-reaching assessment of why the issue of electronic result transmission continues to divide lawmakers, electoral stakeholders, and civil society groups. His remarks came against the backdrop of reports that the Senate had, on Wednesday, declined a proposed amendment to Clause 60, sub-section 3 of the Electoral Amendment Bill, which sought to make the electronic transmission of election results mandatory.
According to DDM NEWS, the decision has reignited concerns among democracy advocates who argue that Nigeria is deliberately stalling reforms that could significantly strengthen the credibility of its elections. For Itodo, however, the matter goes far beyond technical arguments or fears about cyber security. At its core, he insists, is the political class’s discomfort with a system that limits human interference and exposes manipulation.
In his analysis, Itodo dismissed the notion that electronic transmission is being resisted purely because of vulnerabilities in digital systems. He acknowledged that no technological system in the world is completely immune to attacks or failures, stressing that perfection should not be the benchmark for reform.
“What you do about vulnerabilities,” Itodo explained, “is that you institute mechanisms that limit the extent of those vulnerabilities. You prevent attacks as much as possible. There is no system in the world that is totally insulated from penetration.”
DDM NEWS notes that this argument directly challenges the common justification offered by opponents of e-transmission, who frequently cite hacking, system failure, or poor connectivity as reasons to retain manual processes. For Itodo, these concerns, while valid, are not unique to elections and are routinely addressed in sectors such as banking, aviation, and telecommunications, where digital systems are already deeply entrenched.
He argued that the real fear lies in what electronic transmission represents: a fundamental shift in power dynamics within Nigeria’s electoral process. According to him, e-transmission reduces opportunities for manipulation, especially at the collation stage, which he described as the weakest link in the country’s results management system.
DDM NEWS understands that result collation has historically been one of the most controversial stages of Nigerian elections. While voting at polling units is often conducted under public scrutiny, the movement of results from polling units to ward, local government, and state collation centres has long been associated with allegations of tampering, substitution, and outright falsification.
Itodo stressed that electronic transmission directly confronts this problem by creating a digital trail that is visible, time-stamped, and accessible. Once results are uploaded from the polling unit, they become difficult to alter without detection.
“At the lowest and perhaps the weakest link of our entire results management process is at the collation level,” he said. “That is where results are manipulated.”
He explained that the introduction of electronic platforms by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), including the INEC Result Viewing portal (iReV), was designed to close this gap. Under this system, results are collated at the polling unit, entered into official result sheets, and then uploaded to a portal designated by INEC.
DDM NEWS reports that this process fundamentally changes how elections are monitored. By making results publicly accessible almost immediately after polling, electronic transmission ensures that citizens, political parties, observers, and the media can independently track outcomes as they move through the collation chain.
“That way, it enhances accessibility,” Itodo noted. “When it goes to the collation centre, everyone already sees the result.”
This visibility, he argued, creates a deterrent effect. Knowing that results are already in the public domain discourages officials or political actors from attempting to alter figures at later stages. It also empowers voters, who can compare what was uploaded at their polling unit with what is eventually declared.
DDM NEWS observes that this deterrent effect is precisely what makes electronic transmission uncomfortable for segments of the political class that have historically benefited from opaque processes. In a system where outcomes can be reshaped away from public scrutiny, power often lies not with voters but with those who control collation points. E-transmission disrupts that arrangement.
The Senate’s reported refusal to amend Clause 60 to make e-transmission compulsory has therefore been interpreted by many observers as a deliberate attempt to preserve discretion. As long as electronic transmission remains optional rather than mandatory, critics argue, there is room for selective application, inconsistency, and political influence.
For Itodo and other election reform advocates, this ambiguity undermines the spirit of the Electoral Act. While the 2022 Electoral Act introduced provisions for technology in elections, subsequent interpretations by INEC and rulings by the courts have effectively allowed the commission to decide when and how electronic transmission is applied.
DDM NEWS understands that this discretionary framework has fueled frustration among civil society groups, who believe that without compulsion, technological reforms lose much of their impact. They argue that a system designed to enhance transparency cannot rely on goodwill alone, especially in a political environment where stakes are high and trust is fragile.
Beyond transparency, Itodo highlighted broader democratic implications. He suggested that electronic transmission strengthens public confidence in elections by reducing suspicion and speculation. When citizens can independently verify results, the likelihood of post-election violence, legal disputes, and prolonged uncertainty is reduced.
In contrast, opaque processes often breed mistrust, protests, and legitimacy crises. Nigeria’s electoral history, marked by disputed outcomes and prolonged litigation, offers ample evidence of the costs of weak result management systems.
DDM NEWS notes that the debate over e-transmission is unfolding at a critical moment for Nigeria’s democracy. With voter turnout declining and public confidence in institutions under strain, reforms that promote openness and accountability are increasingly seen as essential rather than optional.
For Itodo, the conversation should not be about whether electronic transmission is flawless, but whether Nigeria is willing to confront the political interests that benefit from the status quo.
“The power of electronic transmission,” he implied, “is not in the technology itself, but in what it takes away — the ability to quietly change outcomes.”
As lawmakers continue to debate electoral reforms, DDM NEWS will closely monitor how the Senate’s stance on e-transmission shapes the future of Nigeria’s elections. What remains clear is that the issue has moved beyond technicalities, becoming a defining test of political will, democratic commitment, and the country’s readiness to embrace transparency in its purest form.
