2027: Without Real-Time Electronic Transmission of Results, APC Wins
For those conversant with the intrigues in the politics of Nigeria, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has already won the 2027 general elections. Objectively, without a holistic electoral reform which must make it mandatory for Real-Time electronic transmission of results, the next general elections would likely be a walkover for the ruling party irrespective of the much-touted coalition of forces against it.
The reasons are obvious based on historical precedent. Yes, because elections in Nigeria have often shown that things are not always what they seem. Just like in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the line –‘Fair is Foul, and Foul is Fair’ spoken by the witches signifies a world where appearances are deceptive and moral values are inverted. So, in essence, in our elections, what seems good, is actually bad and what seems bad, is actually good.
The scenario would likely happen in 2027 if a new electoral law, possibly the Electoral Act 2025 is not passed by the National Assembly and assented to by President Bola Tinubu. In the estimation of many critical observers, the glitch that happened to the 2023 presidential election would be a child’s play in 2027.
Nigerians had enough assurances that the 2023 elections were going to be free, fair and devoid of any manipulations. The elections were governed by a new Electoral Act that was meant to make the INEC truly independent, and a major milestone was the introduction of a new authentication system and the uploading of results virtually. Yet, despite the assurances, there were glitches that marred its use and led to mistrust during the voting process.
So, as the clock ticks toward the next general elections, the expectation is that the opposition parties should be more focused on ensuring further reform of the Electoral law to guarantee a free and fair election in 2027. But many observers are surprised that politicians are more interested in tweaking the rules of the game to guarantee electoral victory in 2027 than ensuring reforms to address the intractable challenges bedevilling Nigeria’s electoral process.
From the benefit of hindsight, the glitch that happened in 2023 presidential election will be nothing compared to what will characterise that of 2027 in view of the antecedents of those at the helm of affairs in the country today. Till now, most Nigerians are yet to understand how a glitch mysteriously surfaced in the last presidential election and did not affect the National Assembly poll held simultaneously the same day. It has remained a mystery to Nigerians.
So, based on past records, Nigerians seem to have lost confidence in the nation’s electoral processes, and the trust deficit ballooned in the last presidential election when INEC announced the controversial glitch in the middle of the game. The INEC tried severally to rationalise the incident to Nigerians but with little success as many observers think that there was more to what the electoral umpire wanted the people to believe.
The INEC which openly acknowledged that a glitch affected the seamless operation of the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) during the 2023 presidential election primarily attributed it to the intricate, sensitive, and critical nature of the systems, coupled with the genuine threat of malicious cyberattacks. Whatever that means can only be understood by the INEC ALONE.
The IReV portal is one of the most significant innovations introduced by the commission before the 2023 general elections to promote the integrity and transparency of the electoral process. It is for that reason that Nigerians so much hoped for a free and fair poll in the last election in view of the several assurances from INEC but their hopes were dashed when a glitch mysteriously surfaced in the presidential election.
So, ahead of the next general election, the expectation is that all the opposition forces, civil society organisations and lovers of democracy should focus on enhancing provisions related to the electronic transmission of results, which could bolster public confidence by providing real-time and accurate outcomes. In the estimation of critical observers, enhancing provisions for the electronic transmission of results will afford several considerable benefits to Nigeria’s electoral process. It would improve transparency by offering real-time updates and minimise the risk of manual errors or results manipulation during collation.
Also, integrating electronic transmission will expedite the announcement of results and reduce delays that often exacerbate tensions, and that would reinforce public confidence by ensuring accuracy and deterring fraud.
Also, based on past experiences and with the country’s recorded challenges, the problem is not all with electoral reforms per se but their implementation. What is urgently needed is a free and fair election, without which electoral reforms would be ineffectual.
The perception is that despite electoral reforms, elections in the country have been trailed by massive rigging, thuggery, manipulation of results, vote-buying, electoral violence, voter intimidation and suppression. Given all the reported cases of alteration of election results, rigging, intimidation and all manner of unwholesome practices, the public has lost confidence in INEC, hence the abysmally low turnout of voters during elections.
So, to have a free and fair election in 2027, there should be concerted efforts of the opposition parties and civil society organisations to not only push for a holistic electoral reform but ensure full implementation of all the inherent provisions.
