Fresh debate over Nigeria’s electoral reforms has emerged after former Kaduna Central senator Shehu Sani warned that electronic transmission of election results, while significant, does not automatically ensure free, fair and credible elections.
The former lawmaker made the remarks on Wednesday during an appearance on Sunrise Daily, a current affairs programme on Channels Television, where he reacted to the recent passage of amendments to the Electoral Act.
His comments follow the decision by the Nigerian Senate to approve electronic transmission of election results while retaining manual collation processes. The development has been widely discussed as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen electoral transparency in Nigeria.
Speaking during the interview, Sani argued that technological reforms alone cannot eliminate manipulation if there is a determined effort to subvert the electoral process. According to him, no electoral framework is completely immune from interference when there is intent to rig elections.
He also pointed to longstanding challenges such as voter inducement, noting that despite legal restrictions against vote-buying, enforcement remains difficult due to limited manpower and the complexity of monitoring every polling environment.
Sani stressed that credible elections depend not only on technology or legal provisions but also on political will, institutional integrity and societal commitment to democratic values. His remarks have since contributed to broader conversations about whether electoral reforms, including electronic transmission, are sufficient to address longstanding concerns about transparency and fairness in Nigeria’s elections.
