Opposition senators, including Enyinnaya Abaribe, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Natasha Akpoti and other lawmakers, have insisted that the electronic transmission clause was a cornerstone of the reform process, designed to enhance transparency, curb manipulation of results, and restore public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral system, arguing that exclusion would represents a serious setback to democratic consolidation and electoral credibility.
The lawmakers made their positions known amid the controversy that the Senate on Wednesday rejected electronic transmission of election results from polling units in the electoral reforms.
Insisting that transparent and technology-driven result transmission remains central to credible elections and accountable governance, the lawmakers explained that what the Senate rejected on Wednesday was electronic transfer of results, while they passed real-time electronic transmission of election results.
Clarifying the bill passed by the Senate on Wednesday, Senator Abaribe, speaking on behalf of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, Tambuwal and other opposition lawmakers, stressed that the Senate did not pass electronic transfer of results as contained in the Electoral Act 2022, but rather endorsed electronic transmission of results.
Abaribe further assured Nigerians that there was consensus among lawmakers on the provision for real-time electronic transmission of results.
“It is transmit, not transfer. What is in 2022 is transfer, and we don’t want a law that is vague, we don’t want a law that will be misinterpreted by anybody. We want a law that is clear, concise and can be interpreted by all and that is unambiguous. So, it is electronic transmission of results.”
The opposition lawmakers argued that technological transparency in elections is no longer optional but essential for rebuilding trust between citizens and democratic institutions.
Senator Abaribe underscored the responsibility placed on lawmakers by the electorate, urging his colleagues to act in line with democratic values and national interest.
He warned that any attempt to weaken transparency mechanisms in the electoral framework would betray that trust and further erode public confidence in governance.
