By Our Correspondent
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who represents Abia South Senatorial District, has clarified that the Nigerian Senate approved the use of real-time electronic transmission of election results as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s electoral process.
According to Abaribe, the decision was taken to eliminate ambiguity in result collation, curb manipulation of election outcomes, and significantly reduce the number of post-election judicial disputes that often follow general elections.
He explained that real-time transmission ensures that results recorded at polling units are immediately uploaded electronically, making them difficult to alter at later stages of collation.
The senator emphasized that reports suggesting the Senate rejected electronic transmission of results were misleading. He stressed that what the Senate approved was the real-time electronic transmission of results, not merely their physical transfer or delayed upload, noting that transparency and credibility were central to the lawmakers’ decision.
Abaribe further stated that adopting real-time electronic transmission would help restore public confidence in the electoral system by allowing political parties, observers, and citizens to independently verify results as they are uploaded. This, he said, would limit opportunities for discrepancies between polling unit results and those announced at collation centres.
He added that by addressing the root causes of electoral disputes, the policy could reduce the burden on election tribunals and courts, which are often overwhelmed by petitions arising from contested results.
Ultimately, the senator maintained that the Senate’s approval reflects a commitment to credible elections and democratic stability ahead of future polls.
