Electoral Act: Why Technology Won't be a Silver Bullet for Elections in Nigeria As Nigeria continues to navigate the complex landscape of electoral reforms, a senior official at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has sounded a note of caution about the adoption of technology in our elections. Muhammed Haruna, a National Commissioner at INEC, recently told a TV audience that technology will always come with its own set of challenges, regardless of how hard we try to implement it. This warning comes on the heels of the recent signing of the Electoral Amendment Act by President Bola Tinubu. Despite the optimism surrounding the new law, Haruna's statement highlights the harsh realities of implementing technology in Nigeria's electoral system. With the country's existing infrastructure challenges, including poor internet connectivity and inadequate data transmission systems, the introduction of new technological layers can only exacerbate the problems we already face. Take, for instance, the experience of transmitting polling unit results. Our electoral system is still grappling with the simple task of transmitting results from polling units to the ward level. Introducing additional layers of technology to aggregate polling unit data for transmission will only add more complexity to the process. Haruna's comments are a wake-up call for Nigerians to be realistic about the role of technology in our electoral process. While technology has the potential to improve the efficiency and transparency of our elections, it is not a silver bullet. We need to be prepared for the glitches and challenges that come with its implementation. As Nigeria looks ahead to future elections, we must prioritize the gradual implementation of technology, taking into account our existing infrastructure challenges. This will require a collaborative effort between the electoral commission, government agencies, and other stakeholders to ensure that our electoral system is equipped to handle the demands of modern technology. Ultimately, Haruna's message is that we must be patient and cautious in our approach to implementing technology in our electoral process. By acknowledging the challenges and working together to address them, we can create a more efficient and transparent electoral system that reflects the aspirations of Nigerians.