Operators of Nigeria’s telecommunications (Telcos) sector have disagreed with senators elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who claim that the country does not have the capacity to implement electronic transmission of election results.
Telecoms operators, who spoke with The International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) in separate interviews weekend said the level of telecommunications infrastructure and network coverage available in Nigeria at the moment could effectively sustain electronic transmission of election results across the country.
Also, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye said, “INEC has the capacity to transmit election results from the polling units to the Registration Area Collation Centres to the Local Government Collation Centres, the various states, federal and senatorial district collation centres, and the state and national collation centres.”
APC members in the Senate, who opposed moves to adopt electronic transmission of election results in amendments to the Electoral Act, had on July 15 voted in support of an altered clause which stated that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the National Assembly would determine whether the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) could transmit results through electronic means or not.
Senate President Ahmed Lawan, a member of the APC and APC senators rejected electronic transmission of election results.
There were reports that the leadership of the APC had instructed its members in the National Assembly to reject moves, supported by the majority of Nigerians, to adopt electronic transmission of results in the 2023 elections.
Although it is widely believed that the APC’s opposition to electronic transmission of results is based on poor performance in the last six years, the party’s members in the Senate justified their decision to reject electronic transmission of results with the claim that the NCC had said that only 43 per cent of Nigeria had internet network.
Following the endorsement by 52 APC senators, the Senate adopted the amended Section 52(3), which read, “INEC may consider electronic collation of results provided the national network coverage is adjudged to be adequate and secured by the Nigerian Communications Commission and approved by the National Assembly.”
Initially, Section 52(3), in the report submitted by the Senate Committee on INEC, had read: “The commission (INEC) may transmit results of elections by electronic means where and when practicable.”