Political commentator and ambassador-designate Reno Omokri has endorsed the electronic broadcast of election results but cautioned against insisting on real-time transmission, calling it impractical given Nigeria’s current infrastructure.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, Omokri stated that he is in favor of measures that increase election transparency, but he also contended that detractors should have realistic expectations.
“I support the electronic transmission of results if that is what you would like. Anyone opposed to that, in my opinion, is not patriotic,” Omokri remarked.
However, he insisted that it was not possible to implement a real-time component in every polling station in the nation, pointing to big challenges including Nigeria’s vastness and inconsistent network coverage.
“The problem is that these individuals are requesting impractical policies for electronic results transmission in real time,” he stated.
The recent elections in South Africa were cited by Omokri as a similar instance.
He stated, “What transpired in South Africa is precisely what transpired in Nigeria in 2023.” Nigeria has the ability to electronically communicate election results. Nigeria is a big country, thus there are some areas where you won’t have coverage.
He made these remarks in the midst of the continuing dispute around the recently passed Senate Electoral Act (Repeal and Reenactment) Amendment Bill 2026.
When lawmakers removed the word “real-time” from the section on the electronic transmission of results, they faced criticism. Since then, there have been protests at the National Assembly by opposition leaders and civil society organizations, who claim that senators are trying to erode election openness.
Despite the Senate leadership’s clarification that electronic transmission is still covered by the law, detractors maintain that the term “real-time” is required to guard against collusion during submission.
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