A former National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mustapha Lecky, has stated that Nigeria is not technically prepared for the real-time electronic transmission of election results.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Lecky emphasized that the country lacks the necessary nationwide infrastructure, particularly reliable mobile network coverage in rural areas, to support such a system without significant risk.
“For electronic transmission, we are not ready. We are not technically ready,” he stated, warning that forcing the process could expose the electoral system to cyber vulnerabilities.
Lecky argued that the debate over instantaneous transmission is misplaced, noting that Nigeria still conducts manual voting. He explained that results must first be counted and verified on paper at polling units, with the signed EC8A form serving as the primary legal document, before any upload can occur.
He maintained that existing INEC tools—the Result Viewing Portal (IReV) and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS)—can provide sufficient transparency if implemented properly. Lecky urged caution, pointing out that even more mature democracies face challenges with electoral technology, and Nigeria should focus on perfecting its current framework.
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Disclaimer: This report is based on an interview given by former INEC Commissioner Mustapha Lecky on Channels Television. The views expressed are his own.
