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Barr. Mike Igini, former Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has issued a stark warning to members of Nigeria's National Assembly: failure to ensure unequivocal, mandatory real-time electronic transmission of polling unit results could lead to massive electoral turnover in the 2027 general elections, potentially costing a majority of current lawmakers their seats.
In a statement released on Sunday, Igini highlighted the dangers posed by a proposed qualifying proviso in the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill currently under consideration.
This clause, he argued, would weaken the direct, real-time upload of results from polling units to INEC’s Result Viewing Portal (IReV), opening the door to post-poll manipulations at collation centers ward, local government, and state levels that have historically undermined electoral integrity.
Igini pointed to patterns in previous election cycles, where the absence of transparent, tamper-proof result transmission contributed to high incumbent defeat rates in the National Assembly. “The 10th Assembly stands perilously close to replicating this lamentable pattern,” he stated.
“If the proviso is not excised and the original provision for direct, real-time electronic transmission restored, history could deliver another tragic verdict on the current Assembly.”
He emphasized that real-time uploads to IReV serve as a powerful deterrent against alterations, as results would become publicly viewable immediately after polling unit announcement, making any discrepancies at higher collation levels evident and legally actionable.
Without this safeguard, Igini warned, the electoral process remains vulnerable to the same compromises that have eroded public trust and led to widespread litigation and seat losses in past elections.
The former INEC official urged Senators and Members of the House of Representatives to prioritize national interest over personal or partisan considerations by removing the qualifying clause.
“The integrity of our democracy demands nothing less than full, uncompromised electronic transmission,” Igini said. “Anything short of that exposes elected officials to the very risks that have unseated many before them.”
Igini’s warning comes amid intense debates in the National Assembly over Electoral Act amendments ahead of the 2027 polls, including concerns raised by civil society organizations about potential ambiguities, technical capacity, and the need to align reforms with constitutional requirements.