2027 Elections: El-Rufai Says No Excuse for Ignoring Electronic Voting and Real-Time Result Transmission

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to fully embrace electronic voting and real-time transmission of results ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Speaking in Owerri, Imo State, on September 5, 2025, during an interactive session titled “Moving Forward Together,” El-Rufai emphasized that Nigeria could no longer justify the use of outdated systems vulnerable to human interference and manipulation.

The former governor referenced Kaduna State’s successful local government elections held in 2018 and 2021, where electronic voting was used effectively. According to him, this experience proves that the process is both practical and achievable nationwide if INEC commits to it. He stressed that the electoral body has more than enough time to deploy the required infrastructure before the 2027 polls.

Quoting El-Rufai:

“Why can’t we, as a nation, finally say goodbye to electoral malpractice by adopting electronic voting and real-time transmission of results directly to collation centers without interference? There is no compelling argument or barrier that should prevent Nigeria from implementing this system for the 2027 elections.”

El-Rufai further explained that electronic voting machines could be designed to:

• Accurately identify and verify voters,
• Provide a verifiable paper trail,
• Shut down automatically once voting ends,
• Print results for party agents and stakeholders at polling units, and
• Seamlessly transmit results to INEC collation centers in real-time.

He argued that such technology would not only strengthen democracy but also significantly reduce electoral malpractice, thereby restoring public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process.

Recalling his tenure as governor, El-Rufai noted that his party lost control of certain local councils through electronic voting but still respected the outcome. This, he said, shows that political will is the only major obstacle standing in the way of national adoption.

In his words, adopting full electronic voting and transmission of results by 2027 would signal a decisive step toward transparent, credible, and democratic elections in Nigeria.