It Is Painful And Sad – Mike Igini Blasts Fresh E-Transmission Debate

A former Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mike Igini, has stated that Nigeria still remains backwards in its electoral reforms.

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Speaking on Monday during an appearance on Channels Television, he condemned the renewed debate over the electronic transmission of election results, adding that it is a painful and sad reality.

He insisted that the issue ought to have been resolved years ago.

“It’s a painful and sad reality that after several years of collective efforts to give meaning and purpose to the ballots as the best means of expressing the will of the people in a democracy, here we are again, several years after debating what had been long supposed to have been settled,” he said, referencing reforms that began during the tenure of a former INEC chairman, Attahiru Jega, and continued under subsequent leadership.

The former REC also expressed personal frustration with the current state of electoral reforms, noting that after three decades of advocacy and about 10 years within the commission, recent developments make those efforts feel “wasted.”

The lawyer further argued that the electoral body itself had been largely sidelined.

“This debate, INEC is absent in this debate. INEC is isolated. It is INEC that conducts elections… the commission is expected to speak,” he said, adding that the commission had previously addressed issues surrounding electronic transmission.

He warned that reintroducing uncertainty around electronic transmission could create serious challenges ahead of the 2027 general elections, stressing the need for lawmakers to learn from past experiences.

Igini also urged that the Result Viewing portal (IReV) be granted clear legal backing and that concerns about network limitations should not derail reforms.