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Tinubu defends Electoral Act 2026 Amendment, says management is key
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Real-time electronic transmission not as crucial as transparency
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Manual collation retained where technology fails
President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday defended his decision to sign the Electoral Act 2026 (Amendment) into law, stressing that the credibility of elections rests more on effective management and human oversight than on compulsory real-time electronic transmission of results.
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Speaking shortly after assenting to the bill at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Tinubu said the priority should be a transparent process that prevents confusion and disenfranchisement.
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“It’s not as important as the history aspects of this. What is crucial is the fact that you manage the process to the extent there will be no confusion, no disenfranchisement of Nigerians, and that we are all going to see democracy flourish,” he said.
The President emphasised that elections, regardless of technological tools, are ultimately conducted and concluded by human beings.
“No matter how good the system is, it’s managed by the people, promoted by the people, and the result is finalised by the people,” Tinubu added.
Addressing concerns about real-time transmission, he noted that final declarations are made by designated officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), not computers.
“In fact, for final results, you are not going to be talking to the computer; you are going to be talking to human beings who will announce the final results,” he stated.
Tinubu also questioned Nigeria’s broadband capacity and technical preparedness for nationwide real-time uploads, warning of possible glitches and cyber interference.
He explained that voting in Nigeria remains largely manual, from ballot casting to counting, with only the arithmetic record captured in Form EC8A transmitted electronically after collation.
“It’s just the arithmetic accuracy that is to enter into Form EC8A. The transmission of that manual result is what we’re looking at,” he said.
The amendment had sparked intense debate in the National Assembly.
While the House of Representatives pushed for mandatory real-time electronic transmission from polling units, the Senate retained electronic transmission provisions but allowed manual collation as a fallback in cases of technological failure.
Under the final version signed into law, results will be electronically transmitted after Form EC8A is signed and stamped at polling units.
However, where network challenges occur, the manually signed result form will serve as the basis for collation and declaration.
Despite criticism from opposition parties and civil society groups over the fallback clause, Tinubu expressed confidence in Nigeria’s democratic growth.
“We will continue to nurture this democracy for the fulfilment of our dream for the prosperity and stability of our country,” he said.