Former Senator Shehu Sani, who represented Kaduna Central, has stated that mandating real-time electronic transmission of election results will not, by itself, ensure free, fair, and credible elections in Nigeria.
Sani made the comment during an interview on Channels Television on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, amid widespread public anger over the Senate’s decision to retain manual collation as a backup mechanism in the newly signed Electoral Act 2026.
Protests against the Senate’s stance continued in Abuja on Tuesday, while both chambers experienced rowdy sessions, including walkouts by some lawmakers during debates on the controversial provision.
While acknowledging that technology can improve transparency, Sani argued that it cannot replace genuine political commitment and institutional integrity.
“Even if we have electronic transfer of results, manipulation can still happen,” he said. “It all depends on what we want to do as a country with our electoral system.”
He pointed out that voter inducement, vote-buying, and other malpractices stem from human behaviour rather than the method of result transmission.
The former senator clarified that he supports electronic transmission of results but insisted that the law must include a practical fallback for situations where technology fails.
“Election takes place in one day and it is expected that results will be transmitted the same day,” he explained. “If there is no provision for an alternative, what becomes of it? Do we wait for the next day, two days, three days?”
Sani cautioned against setting unrealistic standards, noting that even technologically advanced countries encounter challenges in achieving seamless nationwide electronic transmission.
“I think we should do what is practical. If it is difficult for even the most advanced nations to electronically transfer all their results, why do we want to force that on ourselves to that level?” he asked.
He reiterated his position: “There should be electronic transfer of results and where there is a glitch or failure, we go to the manual. There should not be anything wrong with that.”
The debate over electronic transmission has intensified since the 2023 general elections, with civil society groups, opposition parties, and many citizens pushing for mandatory real-time upload without fallback provisions to enhance credibility and public trust in the electoral process.
The controversy contributed to the recent amendments to the Electoral Act, which President Bola Tinubu signed into law on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.
