Senator Seriake Dickson, who used to be the governor of Bayelsa State and now represents Bayelsa West in the Senate, has told Nigerians that INEC can send election results live from polling units across the country.
The Senator shared his thoughts on his Facebook page. He said he was very sad that the Senate did not pass a rule that would make it a must for election results to be sent electronically.
Dickson explained that he and other lawmakers had worked on this rule for more than two years. He praised the House of Representatives for passing the rule just as they had agreed.
In an interview on ARISE Television, Dickson said he was in Bayelsa mourning his brother, the Deputy Governor, when he heard the news that the Senate had rejected the rule.
When he returned to the Senate for the first time this year, he said he spoke directly to the Senate leaders about his disappointment.
Later, the Senate Chief Whip, Senator Tahir Monguno, proposed a new motion to change the decision. However, this motion included a condition that results would still count even if there were network problems.
Dickson made it clear that INEC had told lawmakers they have the ability to send election results from everywhere in Nigeria. He said he believes them.
He reminded Nigerians that in parliament, you do not always get everything you want right away. He called it “incremental progress” and said this is how democracy works through talking and working together.
Dickson also talked about the IReV portal. This is a system INEC uses to let the public see voting results from polling units in real time. He said it helps make elections more open and honest.
He explained that the IReV portal does not count all the votes or say who won. Instead, it shows the results from polling stations so people can see what is happening.
The Senator warned that cheating in elections usually happens at collation centres, where votes are added up, not at polling units. He said the new system stops this because everyone can see the results from the polling units.
Dickson ended by urging Nigerians to stay interested in elections. He said people should go to their polling units, vote for good leaders, and never give up on democracy. “Sensitise and mobilise. Don’t give up on our democracy,” he said.
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