Major opposition political parties have expressed strong disapproval of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria after it rejected the proposal to make real-time electronic transmission of election results from polling units mandatory.
The decision, part of recent amendments to the Electoral Act 2022, has been described by the opposition as a setback for democracy in Nigeria.
In a joint press statement, spokespersons for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) warned that the Senate’s action is “anti-people and anti-democratic” and could undermine transparency and public trust in future elections.
The statement criticised the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Senate for appearing resistant to technology that could enhance electoral credibility.
“We are at a loss as to why a party that is currently deploying technology to run an e-registration of their members across the country is averse to using technology to transmit results,” the opposition said.
According to the statement, the rejection raises doubts about the APC’s intentions, suggesting the party is seeking to preserve “loopholes” that could be exploited to influence election outcomes.
The opposition urged Senators to rise above partisan interests and act in the nation’s democratic interest, noting that the last elections exposed gaps in the Electoral Act 2022, where electronic transmission was not made mandatory, leading to judicial disputes.
“The electronic transmission of results is critical for increasing transparency, trust, and belief in the electoral process, which will deepen and consolidate democracy in our country. With this rejection, the Senate has returned Nigeria to square one,” the parties said.
The opposition now calls on the conference committee, which will reconcile the differences between the House of Representatives and the Senate on the amendment, to adopt the House’s position on mandatory real-time electronic transmission.
They stressed that lawmakers should act as statesmen concerned with the country’s future, not merely as politicians focused on upcoming elections.
