The Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to transmit the results of the forthcoming governorship and state House of Assembly elections in Lagos State electronically.
The court made the order while delivering judgment on a suit filed by the Labour Party and 41 others, seeking an order of mandamus to compel INEC to obey the Electoral Act and its guidelines for the conduct of the elections.
Justice Peter Lifu held that the court had the jurisdiction to entertain the suit and that the subject matter of the suit was not a pre-election issue.
The judge stated that the applicants were trying to compel INEC to comply with the Constitution, its regulations, and guidelines following its failure to do so during the presidential and National Assembly elections held on February 25.
The court granted the applicants an order of mandamus directing and compelling INEC and all its agents to comply with the provision of Clause 37 of the Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections, 2022. This provision mandates the presiding officer of all polling units to paste the Publication of Result Poster EC60(E) at the polling units conspicuously after completing the EC8A result sheet.
The order by the court is seen as a significant victory for the proponents of electronic transmission of election results in Nigeria.
The use of electronic transmission of results has been a contentious issue in the country, with some politicians opposing it, citing concerns over the reliability and security of the system. However, supporters of electronic transmission argue that it would enhance the credibility and transparency of the electoral process.
