Chairman Calls for Clearer Legislation Amid Transmission Controversy
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has urged the Nigerian government to simplify the recently amended Electoral Act, making it easier for citizens to understand and engage with the country’s electoral processes.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, made the call during a citizens’ town hall meeting organized by the Civil Society Network on Election Integrity and the Electoral Act in Abuja on Sunday.
Simplifying the Law for Every Nigerian
Prof Amupitan emphasized that Nigeria needs legislation written in simple, accessible language. “What Nigeria needs is actually what I call simple legislation, a simple language legislation, whereby it will be possible for every Nigerian to understand and appreciate the provisions of every section,” he said.
He highlighted the diversity of Nigeria’s political landscape as a reason for making the law more comprehensible to all voters.
Real-Time Transmission Still a Challenge
The INEC Chairman also addressed ongoing concerns about real-time transmission of election results. He noted that while transmission should be mandated, challenges with network coverage can impede the process.
“For instance, the FCT area council election that just took place, results came out on time in five area councils, but the result from Kabi ward did not come until the following day. We could not reach our officers—they were not accessible by phone,” he explained.
Prof Amupitan added that the problem is not with the concept of transmission itself, but with the adequacy of the existing network infrastructure.
“You expect that in a place like FCT, you should be able to transmit your results without any encumbrance. But we had a situation where it was impossible for us to have a real-time transmission of results because of coverage,” he said.
