By Headlinenews.news Democracy & Electoral Reform Desk.
A former Chairman of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Professor Mahmood Yakubu in an interview with the BBC has provided fresh insight into the operational viability of electronic transmission of election results, stating that the technological framework deployed during his tenure successfully overcame major logistical and connectivity concerns.
Speaking during a recent electoral systems engagement, the former electoral chief explained that voter accreditation and result transmission were deliberately designed as separate processes to mitigate infrastructure limitations, particularly in rural and low-connectivity environments.
According to him, voter accreditation was conducted offline using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), allowing polling-unit officials to verify voters biometrically without dependence on real-time internet connectivity.
He noted that once voting and counting were concluded, the same BVAS devices were then used to upload polling-unit results to the central collation architecture.
This hybrid sequencing, he explained, ensured that accreditation delays linked to network instability were eliminated, while result transmission could occur once connectivity became available.
Minimal Connectivity Blind Spots
Addressing widespread concerns about network coverage gaps, the former INEC Chairman maintained that Nigeria recorded relatively few “blind spots” during deployment.
He stated that post-election technical audits indicated that the overwhelming majority of polling units were able to successfully upload results via BVAS, reinforcing confidence in the system’s field performance.
Where connectivity challenges occurred, he noted, uploads were completed subsequently without compromising result integrity, since physical result sheets remained the legal collation foundation.
BVAS as a Transparency Safeguard
He emphasised that BVAS played a dual integrity role:
• Biometric voter authentication
• Digital result image upload.
This, he argued, significantly reduced incidents of manual manipulation, ghost voting, and accreditation inflation that plagued earlier electoral cycles.
Hybrid Model Validation.
The former chairman’s remarks reinforce Nigeria’s current hybrid electoral framework — combining offline accreditation, physical result documentation, and digital transparency uploads.
Electoral governance analysts say this layered structure mirrors global best practice, balancing technological innovation with auditability safeguards.
Reform Debate Context.
His intervention comes amid renewed legislative and political debate over whether Nigeria should fully adopt real-time electronic transmission as the legal basis for result collation ahead of the 2027 elections.
Supporters argue full digitisation will enhance transparency, while skeptics emphasise infrastructure readiness, cybersecurity exposure, and public trust considerations.
Analytical Takeaway.
The former INEC leadership position underscores three operational realities:
Offline accreditation is workable at national scale.
Result uploads can occur without real-time dependence.
Hybrid transmission reduces infrastructure risk while preserving transparency.
His position strengthens the argument that Nigeria’s electoral technology capacity is evolving — but must remain grounded in redundancy, audit trails, and institutional trust safeguards rather than absolute digitisation.
The National Patriots Movement notes the former INEC Chairman’s clarification on electronic transmission, affirming that offline voter accreditation and BVAS-enabled result uploads proved effective with minimal connectivity blind spots.
This hybrid model demonstrates that electoral technology can enhance transparency without undermining manual audit safeguards, reinforcing confidence in Nigeria’s evolving electoral infrastructure ahead of future general elections.
Dr. G. Fraser MFR.
The National Patriots.
The National Patriots Movement notes the former INEC Chairman Prof Yakubu’s interview on BBC and the clarification on electronic transmission, affirming that offline voter accreditation and BVAS-enabled result uploads proved effective with minimal connectivity blind spots.
This hybrid model demonstrates that electoral technology can enhance transparency without undermining manual audit safeguards, reinforcing confidence in Nigeria’s evolving electoral infrastructure ahead of future general elections.
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