Nigeria’s electoral agency walks back plan to electronically transmit results

The Election Network, January 9, 2019

Citing legalities, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Nigeria’s electoral agency would no longer pursue its plans to electronically transmit results from polling units across the country to the National Collation Centre.

“In the absence of legal backing for electronic transmission, the commission can only do a nationwide pilot in 2019, ” INEC chairman, Prof Mahmoud Yakubu announced on Monday at a stakeholders meeting in Abuja. 

INEC in February 2018 announced plans for the e-transmission of results in the coming 2019 general elections. Nigeria’s satellite agency, NIGCOMSAT, had been drafted by INEC to assist it with satellite coverage to enable the transmission of results in hard to reach areas not covered by mobile networks. (3G/4G). 

Sensing that a number of stakeholders might be disappointed by the decision, Prof. Yakubu said that INEC would step up to the plate and ensure early release of the results across the county, “because we know that there will be tension in the country if the results is not released on time.”

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