X-Raying Collation Centres as Test of Election Integrity — INEC Accredited Observer

 

An Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) accredited observer has defended Nigeria’s electoral process amid renewed controversy over the Electoral Act 2026 Amendment, insisting that collation centres remain critical safeguards for the integrity and credibility of election results.

The observer, who said he has monitored elections for over two decades, faulted calls by some political parties, civil society organisations, professional groups and labour unions for mandatory, real-time electronic transmission of results. He described such demands as “misleading” and argued that they do not necessarily guarantee transparency.

According to him, Nigeria’s most significant electoral reform in recent years was the introduction of technological accreditation devices by INEC, beginning with the Smart Card Reader and later the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS). He maintained that these innovations have drastically reduced over-voting and other forms of ballot manipulation that plagued earlier elections.

He recalled that before the introduction of electronic accreditation, elections were marred by inflated voter turnout figures and instances where total votes exceeded the number of registered voters at polling units. The observer referenced the 2007 general elections conducted under former President Olusegun Obasanjo and then INEC Chairman Maurice Iwu, a period widely criticised for electoral irregularities.

He also cited the late President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, who acknowledged flaws in the 2007 elections and subsequently established the Uwais Electoral Reform Panel to overhaul the system.

The observer credited reforms under former INEC Chairman Attahiru Jega with strengthening the electoral process, particularly through the deployment of electronic accreditation tools. He noted that BVAS ensures that the number of votes cast at any polling unit cannot exceed the number of accredited voters, as over-voting automatically leads to cancellation of results at the affected polling station.

While acknowledging that electronic transmission of results is permitted where network coverage exists, he argued that making it mandatory in all circumstances ignores infrastructural limitations and the human element involved in operating technology.

He stressed that collation centres serve primarily as aggregation points where results documented on Form EC8A at polling units are added from ward to local government, state and national levels. He explained that collation officers — including returning officers, electoral officers and resident electoral commissioners — work alongside party agents, observers, security agencies and the media to ensure transparency.

According to him, ward collation officers have the authority to review polling unit results and cancel them if discrepancies are detected, particularly where votes exceed BVAS accreditation figures. He added that party agents can raise complaints at the ward level for resolution.

The observer further stated that INEC deploys statisticians and mathematicians to scrutinise figures at collation centres to ensure mathematical accuracy before results are declared. Any detected inconsistencies, he said, must be resolved before announcements are made.

He concluded that while technological improvements remain important, the integrity of Nigeria’s elections rests on multiple layers of checks and balances embedded within the accreditation and collation processes.

The debate over real-time electronic transmission continues as stakeholders assess the implications of the amended Electoral Act on future elections.