Political commentator Reno Omokri has questioned former Senate President David Mark over his recent support for real-time transmission of election results in Nigeria.
In a strongly worded statement, Omokri noted that Mark served in the Senate for 20 years, including eight years as Senate President, during which he wielded significant influence in the National Assembly. He argued that if real-time electronic transmission of results was both feasible and desirable, Mark had ample opportunity to sponsor or support such legislation while in office.
Omokri further contended that while the amended Electoral Act already provides for electronic voting and electronic transmission of results after polls close, the proposal for real-time transmission meaning votes being uploaded instantly as they are cast, raises serious technical and security concerns.
According to Omokri, no country currently conducts elections with votes transmitted in real time during active voting. He referenced countries often cited in the debate, including Brazil and Estonia, arguing that in those jurisdictions, electronic transmission occurs only after polls have closed, not simultaneously with voting.
He also pointed out that even technologically advanced nations such as the United States, United Kingdom, France, and Germany do not operate systems that transmit votes in real time during the voting process.
Omokri raised cybersecurity concerns, noting that even major global technology infrastructure providers such as Amazon Web Services have experienced outages and cyber incidents. He argued that if highly sophisticated institutions and military systems worldwide remain vulnerable to cyberattacks, it would be unrealistic to expect Nigeria’s electoral infrastructure to guarantee absolute protection from hacking.
He also questioned whether real-time transmission could be reliably implemented in a country with uneven telecommunications coverage and infrastructure gaps.
Omokri maintained that existing procedures such as party agents being present at polling units and the signing of official results form already provide safeguards against manipulation. In his view, political parties should focus on strengthening grassroots organisation rather than advocating amendments he considers impractical.
The debate reflects broader national conversations about electoral transparency, technological capacity, and the balance between innovation and security in Nigeria’s democratic process.
