“12 Million Lies?” — Reno Omokri, Peter Obi, and the Explosive Battle Over Real-Time Election Result Transmission in Nigeria
The political temperature in Nigeria has once again surged following fresh comments by former presidential aide and social commentator Reno Omokri, who is trending across social media platforms for his controversial remarks about real-time electronic transmission of election results.
Omokri, widely known for his persistent criticism of Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and his supporters, sparked outrage after alleging that calls for real-time transmission of election results are part of a coordinated effort to hack the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) server.
According to him, during the 2023 general elections, attempts were made to hack the INEC server “12 million times.” He further argued that the agitation for compulsory real-time transmission is not about transparency but about creating an opportunity for cyber intrusion.
The backlash was immediate and intense.
Many Nigerians responded by accusing Omokri of spreading misinformation, with some describing him as a “pathological liar.” The controversy has now evolved into a broader national conversation about election transparency, digital infrastructure, misinformation, and the future of Nigeria’s democracy.
Reno Omokri’s Core Argument
Reno Omokri’s main claims can be summarized as follows:
1. Those demanding real-time electronic transmission of election results intend to hack the INEC server.
2. The INEC system allegedly faced 12 million hacking attempts during the 2023 elections.
3. Real-time transmission is technologically unreliable.
4. Peter Obi lacks credibility to demand such transparency because, according to Reno, Obi’s “own bank” reportedly experienced service failures and network complaints.
5. The United States does not conduct real-time electronic transmission of election results.
Omokri even challenged viewers to fact-check his claims.
However, digital analysts, political commentators, and several fact-based reports suggest that key aspects of his argument lack contextual accuracy.
Peter Obi and the “Own Bank” Narrative
One of the central talking points in Reno’s commentary is the claim that Peter Obi cannot guarantee real-time banking transactions, yet wants INEC to guarantee real-time election transmission.
The problem with this claim is straightforward: Peter Obi does not own a bank.
Obi previously served as Chairman of Fidelity Bank Plc and was a board member of Guardian Express Mortgage Bank Ltd and Future Views Securities Ltd. However, Fidelity Bank is a publicly traded financial institution with over 500,000 shareholders, and no single individual holds a controlling majority stake.
Corporate governance structures in Nigerian banks ensure that operational issues, digital infrastructure performance, and customer complaints are handled by executive management and IT departments—not former board members.
Furthermore, industry data published by financial monitoring platforms such as MoneyCentral indicates that in 2025, Fidelity Bank recorded one of the lowest volumes of failed transaction complaints compared to larger banks like GTBank, Zenith Bank, Access Bank, UBA, and First Bank, which reportedly recorded higher volumes of failed transactions during peak digital usage periods.
Therefore, the argument linking Obi’s past board membership to alleged real-time digital failures appears structurally weak and misleading.
Does the United States Use Real-Time Transmission?
Omokri also claimed that the United States does not conduct real-time electronic transmission of results.
Technically, the United States does not transmit votes “vote-by-vote” in real time. However, that does not mean electronic transmission does not exist.
In the U.S. system:
Voting machines electronically record ballots.
Votes are digitally aggregated at precinct levels.
Results are transmitted in batches after polls close.
Official results are uploaded and displayed electronically.
This model does not provide live vote-by-vote streaming, but it does involve electronic transmission and digital aggregation after counting.
The same applies to countries like India, Brazil, and Russia. These countries avoid vote-by-vote public streaming not because of technological incapacity but due to concerns around voter secrecy, security, and result stabilization before public declaration.
Nigerians demanding real-time transmission are generally advocating for compulsory electronic uploading of polling unit results immediately after counting — not necessarily live streaming of each individual vote.
That distinction is critical.
The “12 Million Hacks” Claim
Perhaps the most controversial claim is the assertion that INEC’s server was hacked 12 million times during the 2023 elections.
During proceedings at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT), testimonies reportedly included statements from technical experts, including an Amazon Web Services (AWS) representative, indicating that the IREV server did not suffer a successful breach that compromised its integrity.
INEC, however, maintained that technical glitches affected the upload of presidential election results to the IREV portal.
The debate remains contested in public discourse. However, no publicly verified cybersecurity report has conclusively confirmed that the server was successfully hacked 12 million times in a way that altered election outcomes.
Cybersecurity experts often clarify that “attempted hits” or “traffic requests” are not the same as successful hacks. High-traffic servers, especially those connected to national elections, routinely face millions of automated access attempts, many of which are blocked by firewalls and security systems.
Without contextual clarification, citing “12 million hacks” risks misrepresenting typical cybersecurity activity as catastrophic breaches.
Senate President Akpabio’s Intervention
Adding to the controversy, Senate President Godswill Akpabio recently described Nigerians demanding compulsory electronic transmission of results as “unpatriotic.”
This remark further polarized public opinion.
Supporters of electronic transmission argue that transparency strengthens democracy. Critics argue that Nigeria’s infrastructure limitations make overdependence on technology risky.
The core issue remains trust.
Citizen Tech Response: Rise of Independent Monitoring Platforms
Following the widely discussed “IREV glitches,” civic technologists and digital transparency advocates developed platforms like CitizenMonitors, a live election surveillance and aggregation initiative.
The platform aims to:
Collect polling unit results.
Aggregate data in real time.
Create a digital “situation room.”
Enhance citizen-driven oversight.
Such initiatives highlight a broader shift: Nigerians are no longer passive observers of electoral processes. Tech-savvy citizens are building parallel monitoring tools to reinforce transparency.
The Bigger Democratic Question
At its core, this controversy is not just about Reno Omokri or Peter Obi.
It is about Nigeria’s democratic evolution.
Electronic transmission of results was introduced under the Electoral Act 2022 as part of efforts to strengthen transparency. However, the 2023 presidential election exposed operational inconsistencies between legal provisions and real-world execution.
The public frustration stems from perceived gaps between promise and performance.
When citizens demand real-time electronic uploads, they are essentially asking for:
Reduced human interference.
Faster verification.
Improved transparency.
Increased public trust.
Opponents caution against over-romanticizing technology, pointing to power supply challenges, network instability, and cybersecurity risks.
Both concerns are valid.
But misinformation clouds rational debate.
Social Media, Influence, and Political Loyalty
Many Nigerians now interpret Reno Omokri’s commentary through a political lens. Some argue he is defending the current administration following his ambassadorial appointment. Others insist he is simply expressing his personal convictions.
Meanwhile, polarized online communities continue to amplify or attack his statements.
The risk in such moments is the erosion of objective discourse.
Fact-checking, digital literacy, and responsible commentary remain essential.
Conclusion: Transparency vs. Trust Deficit
Nigeria stands at a democratic crossroads.
The debate over real-time transmission is not merely technical — it is symbolic. It represents a deeper struggle over credibility, trust, and institutional accountability.
Reno Omokri asked Nigerians to fact-check him.
Many did.
The emerging conclusion from independent reports and contextual analysis suggests that while cybersecurity threats are real and infrastructure challenges exist, several of the claims linking Peter Obi’s banking history, U.S. electoral processes, and alleged “12 million hacks” require stronger evidence and clearer context.
The conversation must move beyond personalities and into policy.
Should Nigeria mandate compulsory electronic upload of results? Can infrastructure be strengthened? How can cybersecurity be improved? How can transparency be balanced with national security?
These are the questions that matter.
In a digital age, transparency is not a luxury — it is an expectation.
And as Nigerians continue to demand credible elections, one thing remains certain: the battle over real-time transmission is far from over.
0 Comments