You Can’t Run Digital Elections on Broken Networks: Why Nigeria’s Democracy Needs Infrastructure Before E-Results

By Dr. Michael O. Omoruyi
iNewsAfrica | Op-Ed

Nigeria’s debate over electronic transmission of election results is often framed as a clash between reform and resistance. In truth, it is a confrontation between vision and readiness.

Electronic result transmission promises speed, transparency, and reduced manipulation. But elections do not run on promises. They run on strong networks, stable power, resilient systems, trained people, and legal clarity. Where these foundations are weak, technology does not strengthen democracy — it destabilizes it.

Until Nigeria builds the digital backbone required for nationwide electronic elections, mandating e-results risks replacing one set of electoral problems with a deeper crisis of trust, litigation, and technical failure.

Why Electronic Transmission Is So Difficult Without Strong Networks

Electronic transfer of results is not simply about introducing devices. It is about deploying a nationwide digital ecosystem under real-world stress.

Uneven Connectivity

Urban centers enjoy relatively stable broadband, but thousands of rural polling units operate with weak or nonexistent signal coverage. In these areas, presiding officers cannot upload results in real time — forcing delays, physical movement to search for signal, or improvised workarounds.

When some votes transmit instantly and others lag behind, public confidence erodes — even when no manipulation exists.

Network Congestion on Election Day

Election day produces massive data traffic. Thousands of polling units attempt uploads simultaneously, overwhelming telecom infrastructure. Systems that perform normally collapse under peak demand.

A democracy cannot rely on best-case network conditions.

Power Instability

Electronic systems depend on charged devices, yet many polling units are off-grid and national electricity supply remains inconsistent. When batteries die mid-process, credibility dies with them.

No election should hinge on electricity.

Legal Disputes Multiply

If electronic transmission is mandated without accounting for network failure, every delayed upload becomes grounds for court challenges. Instead of reducing disputes, weak infrastructure pushes elections into endless litigation.

Lessons Already Learned

During previous elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (Independent National Electoral Commission) faced upload delays directly linked to connectivity gaps. The failure was not technological ambition — it was infrastructure reality.

The Infrastructure Benchmarks Nigeria Must Meet First

Electronic transmission can succeed in Nigeria — but only when clear, measurable conditions are achieved.

Nationwide Mobile Broadband Readiness

• Minimum 95% 4G/LTE population coverage

• Reliable signal within 5 km of every polling unit

• At least 1–2 Mbps upload speed during elections

Without near-universal coverage, electronic results become selectively credible.

Power Reliability at Polling Units

• Dual power sources for all devices

• 12–16 hours continuous operation capacity

• Solar or high-capacity power banks in off-grid areas

Power resilience is electoral security.

Resilient Transmission Architecture

• Offline-first encrypted storage

• Automatic upload when connectivity resumes

• Redundant pathways, including satellite links in remote zones

Systems must be designed to survive failure.

Device and Logistics Readiness

• Certified, stress-tested devices for every polling unit

• Backup units at ward and local government levels

• National maintenance and replacement plans

Logistics determine reform success.

Human Capacity

• Mandatory digital certification for election officials

• Nationwide mock-election simulations

• Rapid technical response teams

Technology is only as strong as its operators.

Legal Clarity

• Electronic results recognized as primary evidence

• Clear protocols for delayed uploads

• Consistent judicial interpretation nationwide

Without legal alignment, technology amplifies disputes.

A Smarter Path to Digital Elections

Nigeria should adopt phased, infrastructure-led reform:

Conduct a national connectivity and power audit of all polling units

Pilot full electronic transmission only in infrastructure-ready regions

Publish readiness benchmarks transparently

Mandate nationwide use only after capacity is proven

This transforms digital elections from a political gamble into a national development program.

About the Author’s Perspective

Dr. Michael O. Omoruyi is a technology professional, educator, and digital-development advocate with over two decades of experience in public-sector IT systems management. An adjunct professor of computer and business technologies and a long-serving government IT services manager, he has worked extensively on digital infrastructure, user-support ecosystems, and technology adoption across institutions. Through iNewsAfrica and his broader work in digital literacy and policy advocacy, he focuses on how infrastructure, governance, and technology intersect in Africa’s development.

His experience consistently demonstrates one lesson: technology fails not from lack of innovation, but from weak systems beneath it.