Making E-Transmission of Election Results Work: Practical Steps for Credible 2027 Polls
Nigeria’s electoral journey has long been plagued by disputes over result collation and transmission. The introduction of electronic transmission under the Electoral Act 2022, via the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), marked a significant step toward greater transparency. Yet, the 2023 general elections exposed persistent glitches—delayed uploads, network failures in some areas, and public skepticism that undermined confidence in the process. Recent amendments to the Electoral Act in 2026 have settled on a hybrid approach: presiding officers must attempt electronic transmission of polling unit results (Form EC8A) to the IReV after signing and stamping, with party agents countersigning where present. However, where network or technical issues arise, the physical Form EC8A serves as the primary document for collation. This pragmatic fallback has drawn both praise for realism and criticism for potentially opening doors to manipulati...