…as Senate Minority Caucus debunks claims of electronic result rejection
By Olakunle Oke
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has tackled the Nigerian Senate following its reported rejection of mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results.
In a statement released Thursday via his official X handle, Atiku described the move as a deliberate attack on electoral transparency and a perilous setback for the nation’s democratic journey.
Atiku argued that the Senate’s decision is a calculated blow to public trust, occurring at a time when global democracies are increasingly leveraging technology to fortify their electoral integrity.
He contended that the rejection signals a preference for opacity and the preservation of manual loopholes that have historically facilitated result manipulation and protracted post-election legal disputes.
The former Vice President emphasized that the demand for electronic transmission is a non-partisan safeguard designed to minimize human interference and ensure that the will of the people at polling units is accurately reflected in the final tally.
He warned that the preservation of ambiguities in the legal framework raises grave concerns regarding the ruling elite’s commitment to a free and fair contest in 2027.
He concluded by calling on civil society, the media, and the international community to resist what he termed a democratic regression insisting that elections should be decided by voters rather than backroom alterations.
Meanwhile, the Senate Minority Caucus has moved to dispel reports claiming that the Senate rejected the electronic transmission of election results during the amendment of the Electoral Act.
Speaking shortly after the passage of the bill on Wednesday, the caucus insisted that electronic transmission remains a core component of the updated legislation.
Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, clarified to journalists that Section 60(3) of the amended bill explicitly mandates the real-time transmission of results from polling units directly to the INEC Result Viewing (IREV) portal.
According to Abaribe, the law requires that once the Form EC8 is signed and stamped by the presiding officer and countersigned by agents, it must be uploaded immediately.
Abaribe urged the Nigerian public to disregard the misinformation circulating online, assuring that the caucus is vigilant in ensuring that the agreements reached during the clause-by-clause consideration are accurately reflected in the final official records.
He reaffirmed the opposition’s commitment to protecting the transparency and credibility of future elections through the strict enforcement of these technological provisions.
