Prof. Itse Sagay, former chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), has cautioned that removing the proviso concerning election results transmission could be risky. He emphasized that Nigeria is not yet at a stage ready for real-time electronic transmission of election results.
In an interview with Daily Independent, Sagay noted, “Nigeria’s level of technology is still not perfect,” advocating for a tempered approach despite past dishonesty in the system.
He stated, “The Senate position, which is that there’s a proviso, is more rational, more reasonable. Yet, because of suspicion, there is a hatred of the rational position for what appears to be a little bit, what I would call a little bit irrational position. Why do I say so? There can always be a little problem. It won’t be a glitch that will ruin the election. There could be a problem in a village or part of a town. What those who say that it must all be electronic are saying is that those elections should be repeated.”
“Reliance shouldn’t be placed on the counted ballot papers, which in the end is always the one that will still be used in counting. It will still be the main source. The electronic one will just be used to cross-check, to make sure that what is being counted by paper is not magic. I feel the electronic and manual that have been passed is more in tune with reason. Because there can be a mistake or a problem anyway. It’s not because people are necessarily dishonest, but because our own level of technology is still not perfect. But I think the experience of dishonesty, which politicians have inflicted on the electoral system, is making Nigerians so desperate that they’re abandoning what is a more rational approach.”
Sagay further explained, “From what I’ve heard, I’ve not read it myself, the proviso is that it’s going to be electronically transmitted, but the actual uploading is going to be electronic. There’ll be room for manual collation in case there’s a problem. That is the main thing. But what people are saying is that we should rely absolutely on the electronic transmission alone and nothing else. I think that’s a bit risky. Because if something goes wrong and you cannot go back on ballot paper, then you have to go and conduct a fresh election.”
He concluded, “I think we should be a bit less suspicious even though we’ve had problems in the past and allow reason to prevail. What I foresee is that there’ll be a few cases where the transmission won’t be successful or will be delayed, in which case ballot papers can be counted and used in its place. What it means really is that ballot papers will be used anyway. We’re still going to count. But there must be no conflict. Where there is conflict between the ballot paper counting and the electronically transmitted one, the electronically transmitted one will prevail. I think that’s the position wanted by Nigerians. But what the majority is saying is that where the electronically transmitted one fails, then we only have the ballot paper. And that should be used as evidence of the election. And Nigerians are saying no.”
