The Presidency has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will take a measured and nationally responsible decision on the contentious provisions of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, particularly on the issue of electronic transmission of election results.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, made this known on Thursday while reacting to ongoing public debate surrounding the bill recently passed by the Senate.
The Senate approved amendments to the Electoral Act that provide for the electronic transmission of results from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission Result Viewing Portal (IReV). However, the legislation also allows for manual transmission in instances where network connectivity or communication infrastructure fails.
The development has triggered protests from several civil society organisations, which have insisted that real-time electronic transmission be made mandatory without exceptions to safeguard electoral transparency.
Speaking during an interview on Arise News, Dare described President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a committed democrat who would act in the best interest of the country.
“I can assure you that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a renowned democrat, will do what is right, but it will not be in isolation from the realities of our country,” Dare said.
He explained that any presidential decision on the amendment would be guided by practical considerations, particularly the nation’s existing technological and telecommunications infrastructure.
Dare questioned the feasibility of implementing a fully real-time electronic transmission system nationwide, arguing that even advanced democracies do not operate entirely flawless electronic electoral processes.
“There’s no 100 per cent real-time transmission anywhere. Are you telling me that this country, as it is, is networked enough to have a 100 per cent electronic process?” he queried.
The Presidency’s position signals a cautious approach as public discourse continues over how best to balance electoral transparency with infrastructural realities ahead of future elections.
