Amid ongoing debates over the adoption of electronic transmission of election results ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Centre for Contemporary Studies (CCS) and the Nigeria Diaspora Coalition for Change (NDCfC) have cautioned that technology alone cannot eliminate electoral fraud in Nigeria.
In a joint statement signed by the CCS Chief Executive Officer, Yusuf Musa, and the Chairman of the NDCfC, Adenike Grange, the groups stressed that while technology can strengthen elections, it is not a substitute for institutional credibility and democratic safeguards. They noted that systems successful in commerce or examinations do not automatically guarantee transparency or trust in electoral processes.
The groups acknowledged Nigeria’s evolving democracy and the urgent need to build confidence in electoral institutions, arguing that the integrity of elections is central to national legitimacy. They emphasized that election data carries constitutional authority and must be treated differently from routine transactional data such as POS or examination platforms.
According to the statement, the key issue is not simply whether results can be transmitted electronically, but whether such data can move with full forensic integrity. They warned that data is vulnerable at every stage at rest, in use, and in motion and that failure to secure all three simultaneously could merely relocate distrust rather than eliminate it.
While recognising arguments in favour of electronic transmission, particularly its potential for verifiability, the groups recommended a dedicated or hybrid network architecture. This, they said, should combine private backbone systems with public redundancy, supported by layered protections such as device-level signing, end-to-end encryption, hash verification, mirrored servers and immutable audit logs.
They further highlighted the national security implications of election data, describing it as a high-value target for both state and non-state actors. However, they observed that Nigeria’s historical weaknesses have largely arisen from human interference during physical collation rather than cyber intrusions.
The groups concluded that electronic transmission should not be treated as a cure-all. They called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to publicly test, certify and demonstrate any transmission system before elections, urging Nigerians to move from “trusting the technology” to “verifying the evidence.”
