Catholic Bishops Demand Instant Election Results: NASS Must Enforce Real-Time Transmission

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has urged the National Assembly to urgently reconsider electoral reforms, with particular emphasis on making the real-time transmission of election results mandatory.

Archbishop of Owerri and outgoing CBCN President, Lucius Ugorji, made the appeal on Sunday during the opening of the 2026 first plenary meeting at the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria in Abuja, speaking under the theme, “The Common Good and Leadership in Nigeria.”

Ugorji expressed concern over the steady decline in voter turnout, highlighting a drop from 69 per cent in 2003 to just 23 per cent in 2023. He said this trend raises serious questions about citizens’ trust in the electoral process and the legitimacy of officials elected by a shrinking portion of the populace.

“Reversing this decline requires decisive legislative action,” he stressed, calling on federal lawmakers to amend the Electoral Act to ensure that results from the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System are transmitted directly to the INEC Result Viewing Portal. Such a measure, he argued, is crucial to prevent any human interference with the electorate’s expressed will.

Ugorji further compared electoral reforms to digital innovations in other sectors, noting that while the legislature passed the 2025 Tax Act mandating digital filing and record-keeping, it seemed to have ignored the public’s demand for digital transparency in elections.

“The honourable members of NASS must not appear to speak from both sides of the mouth. The world is watching, and above all, God is watching,” he warned.

The CBCN president also addressed rising insecurity in the country, citing “senseless massacres” in parts of Kwara State, as well as the economic damage caused by illegal mining, estimated at $9 billion annually.

Meanwhile, Mike Omeri, former Director-General of the National Orientation Agency and chairman of the event, urged leaders to adopt “servant leadership” as a means of bridging the widening gap between the rich and the poor.

The bishops’ call comes amid ongoing national debates about electoral reforms and the public’s confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process.