Electronic Transmission No Silver Bullet for Electoral Fraud – CCS, NDCfC Warn

 

As Nigeria debates amendments to the Electoral Act 2022 ahead of the 2027 general elections, two prominent civil society organizations have cautioned that relying solely on electronic transmission of election results will not eradicate electoral fraud.

The Centre for Contemporary Studies (CCS) and the Nigeria Diaspora Coalition for Change (NDCfC) issued a joint statement emphasizing that while electronic transmission enhances verifiability, it falls short without addressing deeper vulnerabilities in data security and electoral architecture.

“The issue is not merely whether data can move electronically, but whether it can move with forensic integrity,” the groups stated. They pointed out that data remains vulnerable across its lifecycle—Data At Rest, Data In Use, and Data In Motion. Without safeguards for all three stages, electronic transmission could simply “relocate distrust rather than eliminating it.”

The warning comes amid controversy over proposals in the National Assembly, including debates on making real-time transmission mandatory. Critics argue that without robust, dedicated or hybrid network infrastructure (combining private backbone systems with public redundancy), the technology could expose results to hacking, manipulation, or technical failures—issues that have fueled public skepticism in past elections.

The groups acknowledged arguments from proponents who prioritize real-time verifiability but urged a more comprehensive approach: “A credible electoral architecture must address all vulnerabilities simultaneously.”

This stance contrasts with other voices, including some coalitions pushing for mandatory real-time uploads to INEC's portal as a non-negotiable safeguard against result tampering at collation centers.

The ongoing Electoral Act amendments have sparked protests and calls for transparency, with groups warning that weakening electronic provisions could undermine trust in the 2027 polls.

INEC and lawmakers have yet to finalize positions, but the debate underscores a key challenge: technology alone cannot substitute for strong institutional integrity, voter education, and enforcement against fraud at all stages—from polling units to result declaration.