SO MUCH FOR ELECTORAL FIDELITY

Nigeria’s Electoral Act 2026 should be made to work for the people despite its shortcomings, writes MONDAY PHILIPS EKPE

“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. 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. 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…. And when you look at the crux of various arguments, maybe Nigerians should question our broadband capability. How technically are we today? How technically will we be tomorrow to answer the call of either real-time or not?

“It’s just the arithmetic accuracy that is to enter into Form EC8A. It’s the manual, essentially. The transmission of that manual result is what we’re looking at. And we need to avoid glitches — I’m glad you did — interference, unnecessary hacking in this age of computer inquisitiveness. Nigeria will be there. We will flourish. We will continue to nurture this democracy for the fulfilment of our dream for the prosperity and stability of our country.”

Last week when President Bola Tinubu signed the 2026 Electoral bill into law, he was at his relaxed, confident, and hopeful best. Maybe I shouldn’t add carefree. Or less-sensitive. Or triumphant. The weeks leading to that presidential endorsement were animated by the anxiety of a chunk of the electorate about what the final piece of the legislation the National Assembly would take to Aso Villa could look like. For months, the federal legislators were said to have travelled across the country, engaged with relevant stakeholders, carried along the civil society and done adequate researches on the subject of how to make subsequent elections freer and fairer than the previous ones.

Those processes did gulp resources of all sorts. That stark reality wouldn’t have even mattered if the end results could lead to the integrity of polls; if the citizens could truly see themselves as useful, respected factors in the overall democratic project. Better still, if voting – that indispensable ingredient of democracy – is worth the time and stress in Nigeria. This last premise in particular shouldn’t be taken for granted or trivialised. Unfortunately, our politicians have carried on as if the Nigerian voter is an inconsequential quantity.

The Nigerian people didn’t need any vote or referendum to know that the citizens in support of the now proverbial “real time” electronic transmission of election results far outnumbered those who did not. But in democracy, popular opinions don’t always carry the day. Actually, our present dilemma is accentuated by the fact that what majority of the people think hardly affects the considerations and decisions of their political representatives. To worsen the matters, as exemplified by this case, the actions of the law makers can change drastically from hope to disillusionment.

Sometimes perceived as the more people-sensitive of the two-chamber assembly in this 10th National Assembly, the House of Representatives had appeared to go with the louder calls to fully embrace technology for the collation of election outcomes. Not surprisingly, the Senate thought and acted otherwise. Harmonising the opposing stands of the red and green chambers is normal and actually adds to the grace of the legislative enterprise. Exactly how the positions of the senators and representatives managed to become fused within hours has left the citizenry heartbroken and confused. But certainly not unexpected.

It’s doubtful if the concerns about the collation procedures that enabled disputable results in the past were on President Tinubu’s mind when he accented to the over-dramatised bill. What was clear was the happiness he felt at the sight of the Chairman of the assembly, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and his crew that day. He declared that he had keenly followed the deliberations and was exultant over their resolutions. The meat of this electoral law, don’t forget, is that the digital transfer of the scores written in the almighty Form EC8A is upheld alongside its age-long manual alternative, the same combination that produced the glitch-induced results of the last presidential poll. At the stroke of Tinubu’s pen, someone said that Nigeria had just legislated glitches.

Call that cynicism if you will. Or waive it aside as an opposition or enemy whining. I’m not about to believe that simply putting our faith in technology would deliver credible voting. Even the big tech companies which literally own the technology and craft upon which contemporary information and communication are built are not free from occasional dysfunctionalities. So, those opposed to the speedy digital-technology based, on-the-spot transfer of election results are not without meaningful arguments. It’s painful, though, that yet another opportunity to reduce the increasing voter indifference, which is threatening whatever gains we’ve mustered in our difficult democratic journey, is being squandered.

The anger over Tinubu’s uncommon swiftness in signing that day hasn’t abated but the nation now has a new enabling electoral law in place. The president’s ink has dried on one of Nigeria’s most controversial democratic statutes. And Nigerians are expected to take it with spartan fortitude and be of good behaviour. Critics of government and the ruling party point to the disturbing fortunes of last week’s council elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as direct consequences of the poorly-received law. Most of the people rejoicing are painted as the potential exploiters and beneficiaries of the loopholes contained therein.

The country is not a stranger to the pursuit of electoral probity, we shouldn’t forget. Different devices and strategies have been adopted at various times to make votes count but since we haven’t had any widely accepted election results in the mould of the famous June 12 presidential poll, it may be hard to fully justify these perennial experiments. Whatever happens, the battle to safeguard our attempts to move on from perpetual mediocrity and self-sabotage into the league of democratically progressive countries mustn’t stop.

As vulnerable as the Nigerian voter is at the moment, he shouldn’t be further sentenced to periodic abuses and irrelevance. The boldness with which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, has denounced his organisation’s shortcomings in the recent electoral exercises indicates the possibility of happier times ahead. Some optimism in the midst of overwhelming Shenanigans won’t hurt.

Dr Ekpe is a member of THISDAY Editorial Board

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