Result Transmission: Political Scientists Label Senate’s Hybrid Option Compromised

As the National Assembly conference committee begins work on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, the Nigeria Political Scientists Association (NPSA) has described the Senate’s option of allowing manual and electronic modes to co-exist under the nation’s Electoral Law as a compromised position.

The association, in a statement signed by its national president, Prof. Hassan Saliu, 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 not work, giving 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 to ensure seamless adoption to 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, ” NPSA said.

While appreciating the opposition’s victory on the matter of electronic transmission of results, the association argued that the trouble with Nigeria’s elections is not limited to the mode of result transmission.

It however agreed that it is the most visible level where election manipulations mostly occur and can be proven.

“However, that last stage, as important as it is, does not address the other issues in the chain of electoral conduct observed in the nation’s elections. There are others that the settled mode of transmission cannot address. We have in mind the uneven and untimely distribution of election materials, the late arrival of materials and officials, intimidation of voters, open monetary bribery, alteration of election results, and others, even in the face of the law frowning at them.

“Moreover, we can add the shenanigans that come with party primaries in Nigeria. All these electoral ‘evils’ can make a nonsense of the commendable decision on transmission of election results, which comes last in the chain of electoral duties and participation,” NPSA said.