Atiku Faults Senate’s Stance on Electronic Result Transmission Warns of Threat to 2027 Polls

Spread the love

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has strongly criticised the Nigerian Senate over its reported decision not to adopt real-time electronic transmission of election results, describing the move as a major setback for electoral transparency.

In a statement released on Wednesday by his media office, the chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) said the action suggests a reluctance by the political establishment to subject elections to public oversight.

Concerns Over Electoral Integrity

Atiku warned that rejecting real-time electronic transmission raises serious doubts about the preparedness of the current administration to deliver free, fair, and credible elections in 2027. He argued that such a decision undermines public trust in the democratic process and weakens ongoing efforts at electoral reform.

According to him, reforms that promote transparency are consistently resisted, while loopholes that favour incumbency are preserved.

Technology as a Democratic Safeguard

Reacting to reports that the Senate voted against making electronic transmission of results mandatory under Nigeria’s electoral laws, Atiku described the move as an attack on openness in the electoral system.

He labelled the Senate’s action as ill-advised, stating that it represents a deliberate reversal of progress aimed at strengthening credibility and accountability in elections.

Atiku stressed that real-time electronic transmission is not driven by partisan interests but serves as a democratic protection mechanism. He explained that the system reduces human interference, curbs manipulation of results, and ensures that votes recorded at polling units are accurately reflected in final outcomes.

“At a time when democracies around the world are embracing technology to improve electoral credibility, Nigeria appears to be holding on to outdated practices that have historically enabled manipulation, disputes, and post-election controversies,” he stated.

Call for Public Vigilance

The former presidential candidate reiterated his long-held position that democracy must evolve in line with technological advancement and the expectations of citizens. He emphasised that elections should be determined by voters, not by manual delays, procedural gaps, or behind-the-scenes alterations.

He called on Nigerians, civil society groups, the media, and the international community to closely monitor what he described as a regression in Nigeria’s electoral process and to continue advocating for reforms that align with global democratic standards.

According to Atiku, Nigeria deserves an electoral system that is transparent, verifiable, and resistant to manipulation, warning that anything short of this amounts to a betrayal of democratic principles.

Senate Responds to Reports

Meanwhile, the Senate has denied claims that it outrightly rejected electronic transmission of election results during deliberations on the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill.

The clarification was issued by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, shortly after the upper legislative chamber passed the bill following a marathon plenary session that lasted approximately four and a half hours.