In February 2026, the Nigerian Senate rejected the proposal seeking to make real-time electronic transmission of election results from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ReV portal mandatory.
*The key reasons cited for the rejection include* :
1. *Poor Network Coverage:*
Large parts of Nigeria, particularly rural and remote areas, experience weak or unstable internet connectivity, making real-time transmission challenging.
2. *Cybersecurity Risks:*
Concerns were raised that mandatory real-time uploads could expose the system to hacking, interception, and data tampering.
3. *Infrastructure Deficiencies:*
Challenges such as unreliable electricity supply and limited technological capacity at polling units could increase the risk of technical failures.
4. *Risk of Legal Disputes:*
Transmission failures due to network or technical issues could potentially result in prolonged legal challenges regarding election validity.
Consequently, the Senate retained the existing provision allowing INEC to transmit election results “in a manner prescribed by the Commission” rather than enforcing mandatory real-time electronic transmission.
*Position of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE)*
The Nigerian Society of Engineers notes that the reasons cited above do not reflect the position of technically proficient professional organisations such as the NSE. From an engineering and technological standpoint, electronic transmission of election results offers several advantages capable of enhancing the integrity, efficiency, and credibility the electoral process in Nigeria.
*Technical Advantages of Electronic Transmission*
1. *Reduced Risk of Manipulation*
Manual transmission relies on physical transportation of result sheets, which is susceptible to loss, tampering, or alteration during transit. Electronic systems provide secure mechanisms such as end-to-end encryption and digital signatures to maintain data integrity and minimize human interference.
2. *Faster Collation and Announcement*
Real-time digital uploads enable automated aggregation of results, reducing declaration timelines from days to hours. Modern technologies, including cellular 4G/5G networks and satellite communication in remote areas, help overcome logistical challenges across Nigeria’s terrain.
3. *Improved Accuracy and Auditability*
Digital record-keeping reduces transcription errors common in manual processes. Technologies such as blockchain or timestamped digital ledgers provide immutable audit trails, allowing transparent verification through dashboards and Application Programming Interfaces (APIs).
4. *Cost Efficiency and Scalability*
Although initial setup costs may be significant, long-term savings arise from reduced printing, transportation and manual handling requirements. Scalable cloud-based systems can efficiently manage over 176,000 polling units, with redundancy measures such as offline data caching for areas with limited connectivity.
*Conclusion and Declaration*
The Nigerian Society of Engineers believes that adopting real-time electronic transmission of election results—consistent with successful implementations in countries such as Estonia and India, can strengthen Nigeria’s electoral process while working within INEC’s existing technological framework.
Therefore, the Nigerian Society of Engineers hereby declares its full support for the real-time electronic transmission of election results.
Signed:
Engr. Ali Alimasyua Rabiu, FNSE, FASCE, FNIM
President
The Nigerian Society of Engineers
As engineers, we were trained from our first year to understand one fundamental principle: no system comes with advantages alone. Every design, every model, every innovation carries trade-offs. That is why examination questions always ended with: “State the advantages and disadvantages.” It is the foundation of engineering analysis and risk management.
So it is surprising and concerning when a professional engineering body appears to highlight only the benefits of electronic real-time result uploading without equal attention to its limitations and failure risks. That approach is not engineering culture; it is advocacy.
Real-time Electronic transmission of election results certainly has strengths. It can improve speed, reduce physical handling of sensitive documents, and create digital audit trails. In theory, it enhances transparency and public confidence. But engineering honesty demands the other side of the equation.
Nigeria’s infrastructure reality cannot be ignored: uneven network coverage, power instability, device failure, and server reliability concerns. Technical glitches are not hypotheticals, they are normal occurrences in complex systems. Even advanced global systems experience outages. Elections are high-tension national events; a system crash in that context is not seen as “technical difficulty” but as “manipulation.”
There are also cybersecurity risks, human-error risks among ad-hoc staff, and the danger of over-centralizing the process into a single digital pipeline. In systems engineering, that is called a single point of failure — something professionals are trained to avoid, not depend on.
The greatest risk is not just system failure, but trust failure. If electronic uploading stalls or collapses mid-process, the political and social consequences could be severe. Public reaction does not wait for technical explanations.
The responsible engineering position is not to reject technology, but to insist on redundancy and fallback mechanisms: electronic upload and physical result sheets,
online transmission and manual collation backup,
server redundancy, offline capture with later synchronization, and clear public communication about failure procedures.
That is systems engineering. That is risk mitigation. That is professionalism.
When only advantages are presented and disadvantages are downplayed, the discussion shifts from technical evaluation to narrative shaping. Engineers are trained to ask one question above all:
“What happens when it fails?”
If that question is not being addressed openly, then the issue is no longer purely technical.
©️ ASOyemade Opinion
[email protected].