The Nigeria Political Scientists Association has raised concerns over what it described as a compromised position by the Senate in allowing both manual and electronic modes of results transmission to coexist under the nation’s electoral law.
The association made its stance known in a statement signed by its National President, Prof. Hassan Saliu, and made available to journalists in Ilorin, Kwara State, on Sunday.
The NPSA said, “More importantly, we are concerned about the compromised position of allowing manual and electronic modes to coexist under the law.
“Based on our experience, the technological infrastructure may fail, creating the option to switch to manual mode, which is preferred by the majority of Nigerian politicians, ostensibly because of the electoral advantages it confers. The country’s politicians are a desperate lot who do not care a hoot about their electoral engagement methods.
“Herein lies our reduced optimism about this amendment passed by the Senate, which may be deemed progressive by all standards, given where the nation is coming from in the conduct of elections.
“Let there be no mistake about it: we are fully in support of the prospects of transmitting election results in real time, but we are also concerned about the wider issues and the necessary commitment required to ensure seamless adoption and achieve electoral integrity in Nigeria.
“All Nigerians must rise to clean up the electoral process and usher in the much-desired regime of electoral transparency.”
While acknowledging what it described as the opposition’s victory on electronic transmission, the association argued that the challenges facing Nigeria’s elections go beyond the mode of transmitting results.
It, however, agreed that transmission remains the most visible stage where manipulation often occurs and can be proven.
“However, that last stage, as important as it is, does not address other issues in the chain of electoral conduct observed in the nation’s elections.
“There are problems that the settled mode of transmission cannot resolve. We have in mind the uneven and untimely distribution of election materials, the late arrival of materials and officials, intimidation of voters, open monetary inducement, alteration of results, and others, even in the face of laws prohibiting them.
“Moreover, we can add the shenanigans that accompany party primaries in Nigeria. All these electoral ‘evils’ can render meaningless the commendable decision on the transmission of election results, which comes last in the chain of electoral duties and participation,” the NPSA added.
PUNCH Online reports that the Senate recently approved the electronic transmission of election results to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing Portal, while permitting manual collation to serve as a backup where technology fails.
The decision followed a reconsideration of a disputed clause in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill during an emergency plenary on Tuesday.
