Dickson Defends Removal of "Real-Time" Phrase in Electoral Act Amendment Bill

Former Bayelsa Governor and Senate Committee on Electoral Matters member, Dickson, defended the removal of the "real-time" phrase from the Electoral Act amendment bill, emphasizing that it does not compromise the mandatory nature of electronic transmission of election results. Dickson clarified that the core goal is to secure INEC results through a view portal, ensuring the integrity of the electoral process.

Despite initial backlash and protests, the bill was eventually revised to include provisions for manual collation in case of network failures. Dickson highlighted the importance of physical poll unit result sheets (Form EC8A) as critical evidence of election outcomes, urging Nigerians to focus on legislative gains rather than semantics in the ongoing electoral reform journey.