Humans, Not Technology, Will Decide Election Results — Tinubu Declares as Electoral Act Amendment Is Signed

 Humans, Not Technology, Will Decide Election Results — Tinubu Declares as Electoral Act Amendment Is Signed

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reaffirmed that Nigeria’s electoral process will continue to rely primarily on manual voting and result collation, insisting that electronic transmission of results can only serve as a supportive tool and not a replacement for human oversight.

The President made this declaration on Wednesday after signing the Electoral Act (Amendment) 2026 into law at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. The signing ceremony was attended by key members of the National Assembly and senior government officials.

Tinubu’s position comes at a sensitive moment, just days after the Independent National Electoral Commission released the official timetable for the 2027 general elections. The announcement has reignited national debate over the credibility of Nigeria’s voting system and the role technology should play in ensuring transparent elections.

The amendment bill, passed earlier this week by the National Assembly, followed weeks of intense public discussions, protests, and political pressure. Civil society groups, opposition parties, and election observers had strongly advocated for mandatory real-time electronic transmission of results directly from polling units to INEC’s central server.

Many of the protesters argued that electronic transmission would significantly reduce manipulation during result collation, enhance transparency, and restore public confidence in the electoral system—concerns that have persisted since the 2023 general elections.

However, President Tinubu made it clear that while technology has an important role to play, elections remain fundamentally human-driven.

“No matter how advanced any system may be, it is still operated, monitored, and concluded by human beings,” the President said. “Election results are declared by people, not computers.”

According to Tinubu, the government’s priority is to protect democratic stability while avoiding confusion, technical failures, or voter disenfranchisement that could arise from overreliance on digital systems.

He stressed that manual voting and counting remain the foundation of Nigeria’s electoral framework, with electronic transmission designed only to complement—not override—the traditional process.

“What we are transmitting electronically are results already produced manually,” he explained. “We must be careful to avoid system failures and glitches that could undermine confidence in the process.”

The President praised lawmakers for what he described as a thorough and patriotic legislative exercise, noting that the amendment was aimed at balancing innovation with national realities such as infrastructure limitations, network coverage challenges, and security concerns in remote areas.

“I followed your deliberations closely,” Tinubu said. “The essence of democracy is constructive debate focused on national development, unity, and long-term stability.”

The signing of the amended law comes as preparations accelerate for the 2027 elections. INEC has scheduled the Presidential and National Assembly elections for February 20, 2027, while Governorship and State House of Assembly elections are slated for March 6, 2027.

Despite the new law, controversy surrounding electronic transmission remains one of the most divisive issues in Nigeria’s electoral reform discourse. Critics argue that manual collation leaves room for human interference, intimidation, and result alteration, especially during the movement of results from polling units to collation centres.

Supporters of compulsory electronic transmission insist that real-time uploading of results would improve credibility, reduce disputes, and limit post-election litigation. They believe that technology, if properly implemented, could help Nigeria achieve more transparent and credible elections.

On the other hand, government officials and some lawmakers maintain that Nigeria’s diverse terrain, uneven internet access, and risk of cyber interference make full dependence on electronic transmission risky.

The amended Electoral Act reflects the Federal Government’s stance that technology should enhance—not dominate—the electoral process.

As the countdown to 2027 continues, political parties, civil society organisations, and election observers are expected to intensify scrutiny of INEC’s preparations and the practical application of the amended law.

Whether the balance between human control and technological support will satisfy public expectations remains a central question as Nigeria moves closer to another critical electoral cycle.