Human rights lawyer Femi Falana has urged the National Assembly to make real-time electronic transmission of polling unit results compulsory in the ongoing amendment of Nigeria’s Electoral Act. Speaking at a technical session organised by ActionAid Nigeria in Abuja, Falana argued that immediate uploading of scanned Form EC8A result sheets would strengthen transparency and public trust in elections.
He clarified that Nigeria still operates manual voting, stressing that the reform concerns digital preservation and transmission of signed results rather than electronic voting.
Citing the Supreme Court ruling in Atiku Abubakar v INEC (2023), he noted that electronic transmission is currently permissible but not mandatory, leaving lawmakers to provide clear statutory backing.
Falana warned that once results leave polling units, they become vulnerable to manipulation, adding that connectivity challenges should not justify opacity.
He called for precise legal provisions on timing, compliance and sanctions to prevent disputes and litigation.
