Transmission Of Results Will Achieve Credible Elections –NGE To Senate

The controversy surrounding the Senate’s position on the transmission of election results ahead of the 2027 general elections has attracted the reactions of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE).

In a statement signed by the President and the General’ Secretary, Eze Anaba and Onuoka Ukeh, the Guild expressed concerns that the development is already creating room for doubts and mistrust in the electoral process among Nigerians and that the uncertainty arising from the Senate’s adoption of provisions in the proposed 2022 Electoral Act allowing for the transmission of election results without making it mandatory and immediate runs contrary to the widely held position of most Nigerians and many lawmakers.

The release went on saying ‘the resulting public outrage has pitted citizens against the Senate and could potentially discourage voter participation in future elections’.

The apex body of the media professionals said ‘ at a time when Nigerians are calling for mandatory and immediate transmission of election results from polling units to central collation centres and as the countries across the World adopt electronic transmission as part of electoral reforms to enhance transparency, the Senate’s position leaves much to be desired’.

Their release said ‘to say the least this stance represents a missed opportunity to strengthen transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s electoral process’ and that ‘it undermines ongoing efforts to deepen democratic governance and ensure credible elections’.

The NGE stated that globally, mandatory electronic transmission of election results has become a standard for improving electoral credibility and efficiency and that Nigerians should not be an exception.

To the Guild, taking such a decision would lay a foundation for free and fair elections and help deepen democracy insisting that the digitalization of elections anchored on real time transmission of results will enhance transparency, efficiency, accuracy and voter confidence and will also streamline election result management, reduce disputes, minimize controversies and significantly curb electoral fraud.

The guild expects that in the harmonized provisions of the red and green chambers, the transmission of election results from the polling units to INEC central servers and collation centres will be made mandatory and immediate anything short of this will be odd.