Honourable Adebayo Balogun, Chairman of Nigeria’s House Committee on Electoral Matters, has asserted that a fully digital and robust voter accreditation system is poised to resolve approximately 90 percent of the nation’s persistent electoral challenges. Speaking in a recent interview, Balogun emphasised that effective accreditation, rather than the transmission of results, constitutes the most critical component for ensuring credible and transparent elections across the country. He maintained that enhancing public confidence in the electoral process hinges significantly on the integrity of voter identification and verification at polling units.

The lawmaker highlighted the transformative impact of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), stating it represents the most significant reform to Nigeria’s electoral framework. According to Balogun, the BVAS technology has effectively curbed the historical issue of over-voting, a practice once prevalent where rural areas would report disproportionately large figures compared to metropolitan centres. This digital safeguard now prevents the “cooking-up” of votes, ensuring that only genuinely accredited voters participate, thereby bolstering the authenticity of election outcomes.

Balogun clarified that recent amendments to the Electoral Act primarily sought to enhance public perception regarding technology deployment in elections. He explained that the controversy surrounding electronic transmission of results was largely a matter of semantics rather than substantive change, noting the alteration from “transfer” to “transmit” was made to align with public comfort and expectation. This legislative adjustment aimed to foster greater trust among Nigerians by addressing their desire for explicit language on electronic result handling.

Despite the legislative clarification, Balogun acknowledged the practical difficulties inherent in real-time result transmission across a diverse nation like Nigeria. He pointed out that while the law mandates presiding officers to upload polling unit results, ubiquitous network challenges, even in major cities like Abuja and Lagos, often delay this process. He stressed that presiding officers, many of whom are youth corps members, would not face penalties for network failures beyond their control, provided they snap and send results in the presence of all agents.

Furthermore, Balogun addressed claims that the House was overriding the Supreme Court’s position on the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) discretion in result transmission. He reiterated that the amendment did not alter the core substance of the law, citing the Supreme Court’s clarification that the Result Viewing Portal serves as a viewing platform, akin to a photocopy, and not a collation centre. This distinction underscores that the portal does not automatically aggregate figures but provides transparency.

The lawmaker firmly rejected allegations of widespread voter suppression during the 2023 general elections, attributing such complaints to altered expectations rather than actual disenfranchisement. Balogun argued that physical voter turnout had, in fact, increased, but the previous prevalence of inflated figures created a false baseline. He suggested that the accurate, verifiable numbers produced by the BVAS system now appear “strange” to some segments of the public accustomed to exaggerated statistics from past electoral cycles.

Addressing the persistent issue of extensive post-election litigation, Balogun disclosed that an ongoing constitutional review process aims to significantly reduce electoral disputes by resolving issues at an earlier stage. He noted that a substantial portion of post-election cases are, in reality, pre-election matters concerning candidate qualification, primaries, and party disputes. The objective is to conclude these pre-election issues before the general election, thereby minimising grounds for legal challenges once results are declared and officials are sworn in.

Balogun highlighted instances where elected officials were removed from office after being sworn in, citing these as evidence of systemic flaws that the reforms seek to rectify. He affirmed that the House is actively considering broader institutional reforms for INEC, including the establishment of an Electoral Offences Commission dedicated to prosecuting electoral offenders. Additionally, proposals to unbundle some of INEC’s functions and review voter education responsibilities are under consideration, aiming to enhance the commission’s efficiency and integrity.

Acknowledging public distrust, Balogun attributed it partly to misinformation and unrealistic expectations surrounding INEC’s promises. He clarified that the electoral body never pledged real-time, CNN-style live updates of changing figures, which many Nigerians anticipated during the 2023 elections. He explained that delays in uploading results were often misinterpreted, noting that while elections occurred simultaneously, upload times varied, and many complainants failed to verify results from their own polling units.

Ultimately, Balogun underscored the indispensable role of sustained public engagement and education in rebuilding and maintaining confidence in Nigeria’s electoral system. He emphasised the necessity of continuously informing Nigerians about the intricacies of the electoral process, dispelling misconceptions, and managing expectations. This ongoing dialogue, he concluded, is crucial for fostering a deeper understanding and acceptance of electoral outcomes and for strengthening democratic institutions.

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Keywords: Digital accreditation, BVAS, Nigeria elections, Electoral Act, Result transmission, Voter accreditation system, Electoral Offences Commission, Post-election litigation