Anambra REC Queen Elizabeth Agwu reportedly links real-time results to full electronic voting, as questions over transparency and result transmission return to the spotlight.
By Avid ReportersINEC real-time results
INEC real-time results have come under renewed scrutiny following remarks attributed to Anambra State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr Queen Elizabeth Agwu, regarding the use of technology in Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
According to a report by AIT Online, Agwu said real-time election results would not be provided until Nigeria fully adopts electronic voting. The remarks reportedly came during a stakeholders’ meeting in Awka, where she discussed the Independent National Electoral Commission’s preparations for the next general elections.
However, the distinction between electronic voting and the electronic transmission or online viewing of results is important in understanding the issue.
Electronic voting involves casting votes electronically, while electronic transmission involves sending results recorded at polling units through electronic systems. The two processes are related to election technology but are not the same.
READ ALSO: Tinubu Appeals for Another Chance, Defends ‘Painful Reforms’ as 2027 Election Debate Grows
INEC Outlines Technology Plans for 2027
At a stakeholders’ engagement in Awka on Friday, October 9, Agwu said INEC was preparing for the 2027 elections through staff training, technological upgrades and the deployment of election equipment.
According to a report by Punch, the Anambra REC said the commission had deployed 5,720 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines to cover the state’s 5,720 polling units. She also said about 22,280 ad hoc staff would be deployed for the exercise.
The commission said its preparations were aimed at ensuring a smooth, fair and credible electoral process.
The specific statement attributed to Agwu about withholding real-time results until Nigeria adopts electronic voting requires further clarification from INEC to establish its precise meaning and nationwide implications.
Electronic Voting Is Not the Same as Electronic Result Transmission
The distinction matters because INEC already operates an online Result Viewing Portal, known as IReV, through which members of the public can view uploaded polling-unit result sheets.
The commission’s official website describes IReV as a platform for viewing election results and verifying outcomes in near real time. INEC has also outlined procedures requiring presiding officers to capture and upload completed Form EC8A result sheets to the portal.
Electronic transmission and online viewing do not, by themselves, mean that voters cast their ballots electronically. Under the process described by INEC, votes are still counted and recorded at polling units, while the completed result sheets can be uploaded for public viewing.
Consequently, any statement that real-time results will not be available until electronic voting is fully adopted should be read in context and clarified against the commission’s existing result-transmission and viewing procedures.
Transparency Questions Ahead of 2027
The remarks have prompted renewed online discussion about transparency, public access to polling-unit results and the safeguards required to protect the credibility of elections.
For voters, political parties, civil society organisations and election observers, timely access to verifiable polling-unit results remains an important part of monitoring the electoral process.
As preparations continue, clarification from INEC’s national leadership would help establish whether Agwu was referring to electronic voting itself, the timing of result uploads, or a different aspect of the commission’s technology plans.
The 2027 general elections will place renewed attention on the practical operation of BVAS, result-sheet uploads and IReV, as well as the legal and operational rules governing the transmission and collation of results.
Avid Reporters
About the Author
