Call to INEC, Presidency and Nigerians calling for electoral reform

By Solomon Ogo-Oluwa Oyerinde

Nigeria is at a critical point in its democratic journey. Across the country, citizens have taken to the streets to demand real-time electronic transmission of election results. Their concerns deserve respect. No democracy thrives when citizens doubt whether their votes truly count.

Transparency matters; credibility matters; trust matters

But maturity in democracy also requires asking difficult questions, even when emotions are high. One of those questions is simple: does technology automatically protect elections, or can it sometimes shift risk from the obvious to the invisible?

This question concerns everyone, but it weighs especially on the institutions entrusted with safeguarding the republic- the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Presidency of Nigeria.

Recent public remarks by Nasir El-Rufai have, perhaps unintentionally, sharpened this conversation. When he spoke openly about the state’s capacity to tap phones and monitor communications, Nigerians laughed, debated, and moved on. But the deeper lesson remains:

“If a phone in your pocket can be accessed, no server should be treated as untouchable.”

That single reality should guide our thinking.

This is not an accusation, and it is not a prediction. It is a reminder that power today is largely digital, and democracy must be built to survive power, not depend on the restraint or goodwill of those who hold it.

For citizens protesting in good faith, this is not an argument against reform. It is a call for balance. Moving results from polling units, where voters, party agents, and observers can physically see outcomes, into centralized digital portals does not automatically deepen trust. In some cases, it may simply relocate trust into systems the public cannot observe or challenge.

True transparency is still rooted in visibility. Results openly displayed at polling units, verified by multiple eyes, remain the strongest defence against manipulation. Technology should reinforce this openness by improving speed and efficiency, not replace it with processes that demand blind confidence.

For INEC, this moment will define its institutional legacy. Electoral reforms should be designed to reduce vulnerability, not concentrate it. Systems must be strong enough to resist pressure from any direction and credible enough to earn trust across party lines.

For the Presidency, leadership in a democracy is often expressed not through force or speed, but through restraint. The surest way to protect legitimacy is to ensure that no institution, agency, or individual, including those in power, can quietly tilt the electoral process, whether by physical interference or digital advantage.

Nigeria is not a technology experiment. Elections are not beta tests. They are solemn national decisions that require caution, humility, and foresight.

Reform must continue, but it must balance innovation with security, speed with scrutiny, and efficiency with accountability. That balance is not resistance to progress. It is the foundation of democratic stability.

Mr President, history is often shaped not by the loudest demands of the moment, but by the quiet strength of restraint and foresight. The greatest service any leader can render the nation is to leave behind institutions that are stronger than personalities and systems that remain credible regardless of who holds power. Nigeria’s democracy will endure not because it is fast or fashionable, but because it is carefully protected, visibly trusted, and built to outlive all of us. In safeguarding that balance today, you safeguard the republic tomorrow.

*Ogo-Oluwa Oyerinde is a political strategist & advocate for positive national branding