- President Bola Ahmed Tinubu explained that election credibility depended on human oversight and proper management rather than mandatory real-time electronic result transmission
- He clarified that final election outcomes would be announced by designated officials, with electronic uploads of Form EC8A serving only as arithmetic verification, and manual results as a fallback in case of network failure
- Tinubu questioned Nigeria’s broadband readiness and reaffirmed that voting remained fundamentally manual, from ballot issuance to thumbprinting and counting, with technology supplementing, not replacing, the process
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday defended his decision to sign the Electoral Act 2026 (Amendment) into law, stating that the credibility of elections depends more on proper management and human oversight than on real-time electronic transmission of results.
Speaking shortly after signing the amendment at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Tinubu addressed the controversy surrounding the live electronic transmission of results from polling units.
“It’s not as important as the history aspects of this. What is crucial is the fact that you manage the process to the extent there will be no confusion, no disenfranchisement of Nigerians, and that we are all going to see democracy flourish,” he said.
The President stressed that regardless of technological systems adopted, elections are ultimately conducted and concluded by people.
“No matter how good the system is, it’s managed by the people, promoted by the people, and the result is finalised by the people,” he added.
On the debate over result transmission, Tinubu maintained that final outcomes would be announced by designated electoral officials, not computers.
“In fact, for final results, you are not going to be talking to the computer; you are going to be talking to human beings who will announce the final results,” he said.
He also questioned Nigeria’s broadband capacity and technical readiness for mandatory real-time uploads. “When you look at the crux of various arguments, maybe Nigerians should question our broadband capability. How technically are we today? How technically will we be tomorrow to answer the call of either real-time or not?” he asked.
Tinubu reiterated that voting remains fundamentally manual — from ballot issuance to thumbprinting and counting — with electronic transmission limited to uploading the arithmetic record captured in Form EC8A after manual collation.
“It’s just the arithmetic accuracy that is to enter into Form EC8A. It’s the manual, essentially. The transmission of that manual result is what we’re looking at,” he explained, warning against glitches, interference and hacking.
The amendment had sparked intense debate within the National Assembly, particularly over Clause 60(3) of the Electoral Act. While the House of Representatives initially passed a version mandating real-time electronic transmission, the Senate retained electronic transmission provisions but allowed manual collation as a fallback where technology fails.
Under the final version assented to by the President, results are to be electronically transmitted after Form EC8A is signed and stamped at polling units. However, if electronic transmission fails due to network challenges, the manually signed result form will serve as the basis for collation and declaration.
The decision drew criticism from opposition parties and civil society groups, who argued that the fallback provision could create room for manipulation.
Despite the controversy, Tinubu expressed confidence in Nigeria’s democratic trajectory. “Nigeria will be there. We will flourish. We will continue to nurture this democracy for the fulfillment of our dream for the prosperity and stability of our country,” he said.