Why real-time result transmission is unrealistic for Nigeria- Lecky, ex-INEC commissioner

A former National Commissioner at the Independent National Electoral Commission, Dr Mustapha Lecky, has outlined key steps the electoral body must take to allay public concerns ahead of the 2027 general elections. He emphasised the need to maintain existing systems and improve logistics, arguing that real-time result transmission is unnecessary without electronic voting. Lecky made the remarks on Channels Television’s Politics Today, while reflecting on challenges observed during the 2023 elections. David Lawani monitored the interview

Looking back at the 2023 general election, particularly the glitches and controversies around result transmission, what do you think was the biggest lesson for INEC and the nation?

I think the biggest lessons, surprisingly for most people, let me say this, were the lack of communication and forthrightness on the part of INEC about what was going on. Because things were happening. The uploading of results to the IREV was not happening as designed or as promised. So people were particularly left in the dark. And it was taking INEC so long, much longer than expected, even after the results were declared, to explain to the public what happened. Why that delay? Why did those glitches happen? What caused them? There was so much lag and silence, and that silence was very damaging.

So, in your view, was there anything wrong with INEC experiencing a technical problem?

No.

At that moment, what do you think the commission should have done? And given that logistics problems have occurred in 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023, what can INEC realistically do about them?

At that time, INEC should have called the principal stakeholders and addressed the matter promptly and factually. The facts were there. There was no point hiding what was going on. And people already knew what was happening. INEC should have called the stakeholders—the political parties, civil society organisations, the media, and even development partners—who are all critical to the electoral process in Nigeria and deserve to know what is going on. It was real. There was no need to be defensive by keeping quiet. I think that was a disaster. It was not a good way to manage a crisis.

Up until Senator Dino Melaye raised the issue publicly during the announcement of results in 2023, do you think INEC’s silence amounted to a damaging lag?

It was clearly a lag, and it took far too long to fix.

What kind of damage do you think this episode caused INEC?

It was a reputational issue. INEC had overpromised at the time by suggesting that result transmission would be live. And it was not necessary. The law did not require automatic transmission of results. It was an overpromise that could not be delivered, which affected the institution’s credibility.

During off-season elections like Osun, the IREV portal worked well and improved transparency. We even made a landmark in election reporting. Why was the 2023 general election different?

Off-season elections are not the same as general elections. They have different characteristics. Knowing that 2023 was a general election, anything was possible. There could have been insider attacks. There were issues with the staff’s resilience and boldness in managing the technology backend. All these factors matter. Even in the United States, we have seen cyberattacks during elections. When we talk about Nigeria, we are referring to an IT backbone that is subject to all kinds of malfunctions.

Transmission of election results is still under debate, especially with reference to Section 60 of the Electoral Act 2022. Technically, what is best for Nigeria now?

I actually believe the position taken by the Senate—at least as we commonly read it—is appropriate. I have not personally heard the Senate President address it in a press conference, but we understand they are leaving intact what is currently provided for in the Electoral Act 2022. They are not changing it to mandate automatic transmission of results from polling units. In other words, they are leaving it as it is. That means INEC’s technological response through the development of BVAS and IREV remains intact. The technology is not being discarded; it is being retained going forward. However, it does not make sense to me that we should be discussing the instantaneous transmission of polling-unit results when we are not conducting electronic voting. These things must go together. When you are doing electronic voting, transmission can be instantaneous. But if we are not using electronic voting and people are still using paper ballots and ballot boxes, you must count the votes openly, separate them by political party, declare the results at the polling unit, and complete Form EC8A. That form is the most important document and must be signed by all party agents. That is the process.

Are you saying the argument for real-time electronic transmission of results is baseless under the current system?

Yes, because we are not voting electronically. Are we doing electronic voting? Electronic voting is instant. We are very far from that. I do not think we will ever get there, though I do not want to pre-empt future developments. I was part of a committee with representatives from the mobile network operators and the NCC. I co-chaired a committee that looked at how to ensure adequate coverage for all polling units in Nigeria, about 120,000 of them. We did the calculations and found significant coverage gaps within the MNO networks. The NCC even asked INEC to foot the bill. INEC does not have the money to fill those gaps everywhere.

Is Nigeria not ready for real-time transmission of results?

Yes. Technically, we are not ready.

Nigerians want to see results with their ‘koro koro’ eyes. How realistic is that expectation?

But is that really true? Are people not afraid of cyber-attacks? Has it not happened before? It has happened even in so-called mature democracies. So what exactly are we talking about?

Can Nigeria fight cyber-attacks with the technology currently available?

Some ethical hackers can help fortify infrastructure. But there are also election thieves—people who steal destinies and disrupt lives. Which should we be more afraid of? I think we are not ready. We need to take cues from more mature democracies. Even with their sophisticated technologies, resources, and ethical hackers, these problems still occur. So imagine our own fledgling democracy. I am not making excuses; I am saying we must be prudent and realistic by biting only what we can chew. What the National Assembly has provided for is adequate, and INEC is responding in a very ingenious and practical way. The development of IREV is fantastic. The use of BVAS is fantastic. These two instruments are working well. What we need to do now is rely on what we have and make sure it works perfectly. INEC should ensure that, after polls close, say, results are declared by 3 pm or by 6 pm, between 90 and 100 per cent of polling unit results are uploaded to the IREV portal. Whether this is in the law or INEC guidelines, it is something that can be monitored. The closer we get to 98 per cent compliance within that timeframe, the more efficient we become. INEC can address glitches and ensure reliability within a 3-hour window.

Given the attitude of “go to court,” glitches, allegations of fraud, and judicial manipulation, how can Nigeria escape this cycle? What would you say to the National Assembly?

Transmission of results from polling units, relying on Form EC8A, the most appropriate document for declaring results, should remain. I believe this issue has been over-flogged. A clear position should be taken by leaving the law precisely as it is. Electronic voting and electronic transmission should complement each other. If we are not doing one, we should not force the other. That debate should be put to rest so we can move on to other reforms where we can make more progress.