Abuja, Nigeria – Dr. Usman Bugaje, Islamic scholar and political activist, has raised concerns that attempts to block the mandatory electronic transmission of election results are designed to pave the way for electoral manipulation.
Speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Tuesday, Bugaje criticized arguments suggesting that Nigeria lacks the capacity to transmit results in real time, calling such claims “mere excuses to undermine the electoral process.”
He emphasized that it is the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), not lawmakers, that should determine its operational capabilities. According to Bugaje, INEC has consistently affirmed its readiness to implement real-time electronic transmission of results.
“These are all alibis to prepare for rigging. It’s very clear,” Bugaje said. “You have POS devices in the remotest villages, functioning phones, WhatsApp – people are communicating. If INEC says it can deliver, it is not the business of legislators to speculate otherwise.”
Bugaje further noted that network coverage across the country is sufficient to support electronic result transmission, highlighting that even countries with far less developed internet infrastructure have successfully conducted similar processes.
He also referenced last year’s election, noting irregularities in the transmission of presidential results and questioning why the issues were not properly investigated or resolved. “A lot of these criminals are working scot free,” he said.
According to Bugaje, the effort to block electronic transmission is suspect and risks weakening the electoral system to give undue advantage to certain political actors. He urged authorities to focus on strengthening INEC’s capacity rather than creating obstacles that could compromise transparency.
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