Nigerians Cannot Afford Another Glitch: Fadojoe Insists on Real-Time Electronic Transmission of Election Results

By Our Reporter

A presidential hopeful on the platform of the National Rescue Movement (NRM), Faduri Oluwadare Joseph, popularly known as Fadojoe, has faulted the Senate’s recent decision to restrict the electronic transmission of election results, warning that the move could further erode public trust in Nigeria’s democratic process.

In a statement released on Monday, Fadojoe said the decision strikes “at the very heart of Nigeria’s democratic credibility,” particularly at a time when many Nigerians are already losing faith in elections due to recurring disputes over result collation and prolonged legal battles that often overturn outcomes at the polls.

“Elections should unite us,” he said. “Instead, repeated controversies over result handling, delayed announcements, and courtroom victories over ballot victories continue to divide our nation.”

According to him, the demand for electronic transmission of results did not arise from curiosity but from lived experience, noting that the weakest link in Nigeria’s electoral process has historically been the handling and collation of results from ward level through to the national stage.

Fadojoe acknowledged the progress made by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), which he said has improved transparency in voter accreditation. However, he questioned why technology is embraced at the accreditation stage but resisted at result transmission, “the point where elections are most often compromised.”

While conceding that challenges such as network coverage, insecurity, and infrastructure deficits exist, he argued that these are the same obstacles Nigerians confront and overcome daily in banking, identity verification, examination registration, and other aspects of modern life.

“These challenges call for smarter solutions, not legislative roadblocks,” he said.

The NRM presidential hopeful further warned that the greatest threat to national security is not electronic transmission of results, but elections that citizens do not believe in. He stressed that credible elections reduce tension, prevent violence, and strengthen national unity, while disputed elections achieve the opposite.

“As an intending presidential aspirant, I believe Nigeria’s democracy must move forward, not backward,” Fadojoe stated. “Our electoral laws should empower INEC to deploy technology responsibly, based on professional judgment and local realities, rather than restrict innovation out of fear.”

He called on the Senate to reconsider its decision in the interest of the nation and urged civil society organisations, the media, youth groups, faith leaders, and pro-democracy advocates to sustain public engagement on the issue.

“Nigeria cannot afford to keep voting in the dark,” he said. “The future of our democracy demands light, transparency, and courage.”

The statement was signed by Faduri Oluwadare Joseph (Fadojoe), NRM presidential hopeful and leader of the Rescue Movement for New Nigeria, also known as the Rescue The Vulnerable Initiative.