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ABUJA, NIGERIA – FEBRUARY 2026 – The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) has declared its full support for the mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results, rejecting the Senate’s recent decision to retain discretionary transmission provisions and describing lawmakers’ objections as technically unfounded and professionally indefensible.

In a press statement issued in Abuja and signed by its president, Engr. Ali Alimasyua Rabiu, the umbrella body of engineering professionals said the Senate’s reasons for rejecting a proposal to compel real-time uploads from polling units to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal do not reflect the position of any technically proficient professional organisation .

The Senate last week passed the Electoral Bill 2026, voting down a recommendation by its Committee on Electoral Matters that would have mandated presiding officers to transmit results electronically in real time immediately after forms were signed and countersigned. Lawmakers instead retained the existing 2022 provision allowing transmission “in a manner prescribed by the Commission” .

Senators opposing mandatory real-time transmission cited four primary concerns: poor network coverage in rural and remote areas, cybersecurity risks including hacking and data interception, infrastructure deficiencies such as unreliable electricity, and the risk of prolonged legal disputes arising from technical failures .

But the NSE dismissed each of these objections, arguing that they reflect outdated assumptions about modern election technology and underestimate Nigeria’s existing technical capacity.

“Let it be on record that the reasons mentioned above do not have the endorsement of any technically proficient professional organisation such as the Nigerian Society of Engineers,” the society stated. “Electronic transmission of election results offers several technical advantages that could enhance the integrity, efficiency and credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process” .

The engineering body warned that the current reliance on physical transportation of result sheets remains highly vulnerable to manipulation, loss, and alteration during transit. By contrast, it said, electronic systems employing end-to-end encryption and digital signatures can ensure data integrity from polling units to central servers while minimising human interference .

Addressing network concerns, the NSE argued that modern election systems are designed for hybrid environments. It pointed to available technologies including 4G and 5G cellular networks, satellite communication for hard-to-reach areas, and offline data caching that synchronises once connectivity is restored. The society maintained that such measures can deliver nationwide coverage without compromising accuracy .

On cybersecurity, the engineers asserted that properly designed digital platforms incorporate multiple security layers, audit logs, and access controls, and are not inherently more vulnerable than manual processes susceptible to physical tampering. Digital records, they added, eliminate transcription errors and enable robust auditability through timestamped ledgers and verification dashboards accessible to stakeholders .

The NSE further argued that real-time digital uploads would drastically shorten collation timelines from days to hours and that long-term cost savings from reduced printing, transportation, and personnel needs would offset initial setup investments. Scalable cloud-based systems, it said, can efficiently manage data from Nigeria’s more than 176,000 polling units .

Citing successful implementations in Estonia and India, the society declared: “Therefore, we declare our full support for real-time electronic transmission of election results” .

The Senate’s decision has drawn widespread criticism from opposition parties and civil society. The Peoples Democratic Party described the rejection as “shameful, unfortunate and a setback to democratic consolidation” . The African Democratic Congress warned the development threatens election credibility and urged the Electoral Act Conference Committee to overturn the decision . Former presidential candidate Chief Martin Onovo said the country had “lost another opportunity to restore confidence in Nigeria’s electoral system” .

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has defended the chamber’s position, insisting that electronic transmission remains part of the law. He explained that the removal of the phrase “real time” was intended to prevent legal disputes arising from network failures. “All we said during discussion was that we should remove the word ‘real-time’ because if you say real-time, then there is a network or grid failure and the network is not working. When you go to court, somebody will say it ought to have been real-time. That was all we said,” Akpabio stated .

Other organisations, including the Africa Development Studies Centre and the National Institute of Cultural Orientation, have cautioned against immediate adoption, warning that Nigeria lacks the structural and infrastructural readiness for nationwide real-time transmission . The NSE, however, maintained that such challenges are technical issues with practical engineering solutions, not insurmountable barriers to reform .