Call For real-time Voting Is Unnecessary. Nigeria Not Ready for Electronic Voting — Sen. Dickson

Former Bayelsa State governor and senator representing Bayelsa West, Seriake Dickson, has said Nigeria is not yet prepared for full electronic voting, describing the push for “real-time” transmission of election results as unnecessary.

Speaking in an interview with ARISE News on Tuesday, Dickson said Nigeria does not operate an electronic voting system where votes are instantly uploaded to a portal. “We are not at the point where you press a button and your vote is immediately added online,” he said, describing the term “real time” as “superfluous” and insufficient to guarantee transparency.

His comments followed the Senate’s emergency plenary, which revisited Clause 60(3) of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill after public criticism.

Lawmakers approved electronic transmission of results to INEC’s Result Viewing Portal (IREV), while retaining manual collation as a backup in cases of network failure.

However, they rejected compulsory real-time uploads. While critics warned that this could allow manipulation, Dickson disagreed, saying the outcome was not a setback for democracy.

He noted that discussions on electronic transmission had lasted nearly two years and involved consultations with INEC.

He also explained that he missed earlier debates due to bereavement.

According to him, resistance to electronic transmission has existed since the 9th Senate, especially among ruling party members. He added that both chambers initially agreed on the provision before it was altered.

Dickson stressed that the polling unit result form, EC8A, remains the primary evidence of election results. “Once votes are counted, signed, and uploaded to IREV, that is good enough,” he said.

Although he expressed concerns about manual collation, he accepted it as a compromise, noting that electronic transmission remains mandatory.

He concluded that electoral reform must be gradual, describing the amendment as progress.