“Transparency Not Guaranteed!” Senator Dickson Backs Senate’s Move to Drop ‘Real-Time’ E-Voting, Warns Nigeria Is Not Yet Ready

As the dust settles on the Senate’s controversial passage of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2026, Senator Seriake Dickson has stepped forward to defend the decision to scrap “real-time” electronic result transmission. The former Governor of Bayelsa State warned on Wednesday that forcing a mandatory real-time system on a nation with “jagged” digital infrastructure would be a recipe for electoral chaos rather than a guarantee of transparency.

The debate, which has split the National Assembly down the middle, centers on Clause 60(3) of the new bill. While the Senate agreed that results must be “electronically transmitted,” they pointedly removed the word “real-time,” making the timing and method of upload discretionary for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“We must be realistic about our country’s current capabilities,” Senator Dickson argued. “To mandate real-time transmission when we know that thousands of polling units exist in areas with zero network coverage is to invite manipulation. If the system fails in a remote village, the lack of a real-time upload becomes a tool for those who want to declare false results manually. Transparency is not guaranteed by a law that cannot be technically supported.”

The Senator’s stance has placed him at odds with pro-reform lawmakers and civil society organizations who believe the move creates a “dark window” for results to be changed during transit. Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe and other opposition figures have voiced “fierce objections,” arguing that the 2027 elections will lack credibility if the “real-time” safeguard is omitted.

However, Dickson maintains that the 2026 Amendment, which also officially replaces “smart card readers” with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), is a pragmatic step forward. He insists that until Nigeria achieves a “State of Harmony” in its national power and data grids, the manual Form EC8A must remain the ultimate legal backup to prevent digital disenfranchisement.

As the bill moves toward harmonization with the House of Representatives, the “Dickson Doctrine” prioritizing logistical reality over digital ideals remains one of the most debated topics in Nigerian politics.