By Solomon OKPO
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has declared that the commission cannot guarantee real-time electronic transmission of election results due to its lack of control over Nigeria’s telecommunications infrastructure.
Amupitan stated that INEC does not operate its own communication network and is dependent on external service providers for connectivity during elections. According to him, holding the commission fully accountable for real-time transmission challenges would only be reasonable if it had complete control over the network systems used for the process.
“We do not even have a network of our own. Assuming we control the network system and are not dictated to by primary and secondary providers, then INEC should be held 100 percent responsible for whatever happens,” he said.
The INEC chairman explained that establishing an independent, nationwide communications infrastructure would require enormous financial investment far beyond the commission’s current budgetary capacity. He noted that even with an annual budget of ₦305 billion, deploying a robust transmission system capable of delivering seamless, real-time uploads across the country would demand substantial additional funding and advanced technical expertise.
He further pointed out that ensuring redundancy through partnerships with multiple telecommunications providers, as well as installing satellite terminals in hard-to-reach rural areas, would significantly increase operational costs.
Amupitan maintained that any commitment to flawless, real-time electronic transmission of results would be unrealistic under the prevailing infrastructure limitations. He emphasized that meaningful progress in broadband expansion nationwide, alongside the development of a dedicated INEC communications network, would be necessary before such assurances could be responsibly made.
The commission’s position comes amid continued public scrutiny over election transparency and the reliability of electronic result transmission systems, a central issue in recent electoral cycles.
