A coalition of reform-minded legislators and former members of the House of Representatives, under the aegis of House to the Rescue (HTR), has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure full electronic collation and transmission of results in the 2027 general elections to safeguard Nigeria’s democracy.
In a statement jointly signed by its zonal coordinators — Hon Muhammed Musa Soba (North West), Hon. Zakari Mohammed (North Central), Hon. Olasupo Abiodun (South West), Hon. Sadiq Ibrahim (North East), Hon. Uko Nkole (South East) and Hon. Bassey Eko Ewa (South South) — the group said that digital result transmission was essential to ensuring the integrity and transparency of future elections.
“In the interest of safeguarding Nigeria’s democracy and ensuring the integrity of electoral outcomes, we call on INEC to mandate real-time electronic collation and transmission of results from the ward level directly to the central server during all future elections,” the statement read in part.
The group maintained that the adoption and consistent implementation of digital result transmission was no longer optional but a national necessity, stressing that it would enhance transparency, eliminate human interference, and guarantee that every vote cast was accurately recorded and reflected in the final outcomes.
The HTR also called on international donor agencies and development partners who have invested heavily in Nigeria’s electoral system to insist on the full nationwide use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and Smart Card Readers in all polling units.
“These technologies, funded and supported by the international community, must be effectively utilized to ensure value for money and uphold the credibility of elections,” the group stated.
In addition, the platform urged the National Assembly to review and strengthen the Electoral Act to explicitly discourage manual voting, manual collation, and computation throughout the electoral process, arguing that credible democracy must reflect the realities of the digital age — one that prioritises accuracy, efficiency, and public trust.
“The future of Nigeria’s democracy depends on credible, transparent, and verifiable elections. INEC must therefore rise to its constitutional responsibility by fully embracing technological transparency and ensuring that the sanctity of every vote is protected,” the statement concluded.
