NSE states position on Senate rejection of real-time transmission of election results

By Isa Isawade

The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) has made its position known on the decision of the country’s Senate to reject proposal to make real-time electronic transmission of election results from polling units to INEC’s IReV portal mandatory.

The society stated its position in a press release signed by its president, Engr. Ali Alimasuya Rabiu, and forwarded to media organisations.

According to the professional group, the reasons adduced for the decision by the lawmakers, which include poor network coverage, cybersecurity risks, infrastructure deficiencies and risk of legal disputes, do not have endorsement of “any technically proficient professional organisation such as the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE).”

It maintains that electronic transmission of results offers several advantages that could “enhance the integrity, efficiency and credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process.”

The body explains that through real-time transmission, the country stands the chance of benefiting from reduced risk of manipulation, faster collation and announcement, improved accuracy and auditability, and cost savings and scalability.

The society concluded by saying: “At the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), we believe that adopting real-time transmission of electronic results, as seen in successful implementations in countries like Estonia and India, could have addressed Nigeria’s history of electoral disputes while complying with INEC’s existing tech infrastructure.

“Therefore, we declare our full support for real-time electronic transmission of election results.”