Post by Henry Emeka (@Emekus)

Respectfully Nigeria is still counting votes manually across 36 states and 774 LGAs because the law, the infrastructure, and INEC’s own procedures still require paper counting first, even though money has been allocated for technology. The key reasons — based on current reporting — are below.

Why votes are still counted by hand
Manual counting is still legally required at polling units
INEC’s official procedure mandates manual counting on paper (Form EC8A) before anything can be uploaded. This is not optional — it is the first step in the legally defined sequence.

Electronic transmission is allowed, but not mandatory
The Electoral Act uses the word “may”, not “shall,” meaning INEC has discretion. Courts have repeatedly ruled that failure to transmit electronically does not invalidate an election.
This weakens enforcement and allows manual collation to dominate.

Network coverage is too weak in many areas
Nigeria still has:

240+ million Nigerians without basic mobile connectivity

Rural internet access around 23%

Large regions still on 2G, which cannot reliably upload results

Because of this, even when electronic transmission is attempted, many polling units fall back to manual collation.

INEC clarified that uploads are not real‑time
INEC has publicly stated that “real‑time” transmission is not part of the legal or technical framework. Uploads only happen after manual counting, signing, and verification.

Where is the money meant for electronic transmission?
This is the question many Nigerians are asking — but here’s what the available evidence shows:

Funds were allocated, but infrastructure gaps remain
Nigeria’s electronic transmission plan depends on:

90,000 km of fibre rollout

Satellite links for all 36 states 774 LGAs
These projects are still ongoing and far from complete.

INEC has invested in BVAS and IReV — but not full real‑time transmission
INEC’s spending has focused on:

BVAS devices

IReV portal

Training and logistics
But the system still relies on scanning paper results, not live digital vote counting.

Legal ambiguity reduces pressure for full implementation
Because the law does not mandate real‑time transmission, INEC is not legally compelled to spend funds on building a system that the law does not require.

No public evidence yet of missing or misappropriated funds
Available reporting does not show that the money is missing.
Instead, it shows:

Infrastructure is incomplete

The legal framework is weak

INEC’s technology is limited by design

Uploads are not real‑time by policy

So what’s the real issue?
The problem is not only money — it is a combination of:

Weak legal mandate (electronic transmission is optional)

Poor national connectivity (millions lack network access)

INEC’s own procedures (manual counting first, always)

Technical limitations (BVAS uploads scanned forms, not live votes)

Political resistance (lawmakers repeatedly dilute electronic transmission clauses)

All of this keeps Nigeria stuck with manual counting, even after trillions have been spent.

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