Nigeria, Feb. 19 -- The current controversy unfolding ahead of the 2027 general election was entirely avoidable if only Nigeria's political elite prioritised public interest and collective good above narrow, self-serving agendas. There was no justification for delaying amendments to the Electoral Act, given that both Senate and House committees commenced the reform process in 2023. It's less than a year to the general election; we are here debating whether to legalise real-time electronic transmission of results and recycling flimsy excuses about infrastructure and feasibility.

Electronic transmission is not new. It has been a feature of Nigeria's elections since 2015. We are being manipulated by politicians peddling a false narrative be...