Why Real-Time Electronic Voting Isn’t Ready for Nigeria: Senator Eze’s Brutal Honest Take

 

​The conversation around Nigeria's electoral integrity has reached a fever pitch as the 2027 general elections loom on the horizon. At the center of this storm is the controversial Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2026, which has sparked nationwide debate over the feasibility of real-time electronic voting and result transmission. Adding his voice to the discourse, Senator Okechukwu Eze has stated clearly that while the nation aspires toward a fully digital system, real-time electronic voting remains "impracticable" under the country's current socio-technical realities.

​The Great "Real-Time" Debate

​The crux of the recent legislative battle in the Senate was the omission of the phrase "real-time" from the provisions governing result transmission. While the Senate officially approved the electronic transmission of results to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Result Viewing Portal (IReV), they intentionally avoided mandating it in "real-time."

​Senator Eze, echoing the sentiments of several colleagues, argued that forcing a real-time mandate without the necessary infrastructure would be setting the electoral process up for a catastrophic failure. "We must distinguish between our desires and our capacity," the lawmaker noted. The Senate’s decision to drop the clause was not a rejection of technology, but a strategic "fail-safe" to account for Nigeria's unique challenges.

​Why Real-Time Voting Faces an Uphill Battle

​Senator Eze highlighted three primary "bottlenecks" that make a mandatory real-time electronic system premature for the 2026/2027 cycle:

​1. The Infrastructure Deficit

​Large swaths of Nigeria, particularly in rural and riverine areas, still suffer from patchy telecommunications network coverage. A real-time system relies on a constant, high-speed internet connection at every polling unit. "If a polling unit in a remote part of the North or the Niger Delta loses signal, the entire process could be stalled or invalidated under a mandatory real-time law," the Senator explained. By allowing for a "transfer" rather than a "live stream" of data, the law provides a buffer for areas with weak connectivity.

​2. Cybersecurity and "Hacker" Paranoia

​In an era of global cyber warfare, the risks associated with a fully electronic, real-time voting system are immense. Senator Eze pointed out that even more developed democracies have been hesitant to move entirely away from physical paper trails. The current 2026 amendment retains the manual Form EC8A as the primary legal fallback. This ensures that if the electronic system is compromised or suffers a glitch, there is a tangible, verifiable record of the people's will.

​3. Public Trust vs. Technical Literacy

​For a democracy to function, the electorate must trust the results. Senator Eze noted that a significant portion of the Nigerian voting population remains skeptical of "black box" technology. Until there is widespread digital literacy and a proven track record of the BVAS (Bimodal Voter Accreditation System) working without hitch, a total shift to real-time e-voting could lead to civil unrest if technical errors occur.

​The Senate’s Compromise: A Phased Approach

​The 2026 Electoral Act is being framed as a "middle-ground" solution. It grants INEC the legal authority to use electronic means for transmission but does not strip the commission of its discretionary power to handle technical failures. Senator Eze believes this phased approach is the only way to evolve.

​"We are moving toward the light, but we cannot run in the dark. We must build the towers before we broadcast the signal," Eze remarked during a session on the bill.

​Public Reaction and the Road to 2027

​The Senator’s stance has not been without pushback. Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and youth movements argue that the omission of "real-time" transmission provides a loophole for human interference during the "transfer" process. They argue that if a result can be "held" before it is "uploaded," the window for manipulation remains open.

​However, from a legislative standpoint, Senator Eze maintains that the 2026 Bill is the most "pragmatic" version of the law yet. By making BVAS a mandatory legal requirement and digitizing party registers, the Senate believes they have closed enough doors on fraud to ensure a credible election, even without the "real-time" tag.

​Conclusion: Patience over Perfection

​Senator Eze’s assessment serves as a sobering reality check for those hoping for an "instant" digital revolution in Nigerian politics. While the goal remains a transparent, real-time system, the 2026 roadmap prioritizes reliability over speed. For now, the "paper-and-portal" hybrid remains the standard, as Nigeria waits for its infrastructure to catch up with its democratic ambitions.