NRM Calls on National Assembly to Address Gaps in Electronic Election Result Transmission

By Our Reporter

The National Rescue Movement (NRM) has called on the National Assembly to use the ongoing harmonisation process between the Senate and the House of Representatives to address what it described as a missed opportunity in Nigeria’s electoral laws regarding real-time electronic transmission of election results.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the party urged the Senate – House Harmonisation Committee to clearly entrench real-time electronic transmission of results in the country’s electoral legal framework, noting that the absence of explicit provisions in the Electoral Act 2022 weakened public confidence in the electoral reform process.

According to the NRM, the failure to expressly mandate real-time electronic transmission of results has contributed to persistent disputes, mistrust, and controversies surrounding election outcomes in Nigeria.

The party stressed that credible elections are central to democratic legitimacy, national cohesion, and good governance, warning that any electoral framework that does not sufficiently guarantee transparency at polling unit and collation stages risks undermining the sovereign will of the Nigerian people.

While acknowledging earlier concerns about infrastructure and security, the NRM argued that recent electoral experiences have shown that technology, when clearly backed by law, reduces human interference and enhances transparency.

The party also pointed to the deployment of electronic tools by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as evidence of Nigeria’s growing institutional capacity to deepen electoral integrity.

The NRM therefore called on the harmonisation committee to decisively close what it described as a legislative gap by introducing clear and unambiguous provisions that strengthen electronic transmission of results, eliminate discretionary loopholes, and restore citizens’ trust in the electoral process.

The party further emphasized that the harmonisation exercise should go beyond a routine legislative procedure and be treated as a deliberate national intervention aimed at rebuilding public confidence, aligning Nigeria’s electoral laws with democratic best practices, and guaranteeing elections that truly reflect the will of the people.

Under the leadership of its National Chairman, Prince Dr. Chinedu Obi (Ohamadike), the National Rescue Movement reaffirmed its commitment to electoral reforms that promote transparency, accountability, and democratic consolidation, pledging to continue advocating reforms that place national interest and citizens’ confidence above all other considerations.

“Nigeria deserves elections that inspire trust, not suspicion; certainty, not controversy,” the party said.