Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the Nigerian Senate’s decision to reject the real-time electronic transmission of election results, describing it as a serious betrayal of democracy that undermines transparency, credibility and public trust in the country’s electoral process.
Atiku, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, made the remarks in a statement issued by his Media Office on Wednesday, where he described the Senate’s action as a deliberate attack on electoral transparency.
The condemnation followed the Senate’s rejection of a proposed amendment to Clause 70(3) of the Electoral Amendment Bill, which sought to make the electronic transmission of election results mandatory.
Clarifying the Senate’s position, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, had said the upper chamber did not completely reject electronic transmission but opted to retain the existing provision of the Electoral Act, which states that “the presiding officer shall transfer the results, including the total number of accredited voters and the results of the ballot, in a manner as prescribed by the Commission.”
Reacting, Atiku said rejecting real-time electronic transmission and relying on the 2022 provision amounted to a refusal to subject elections to full public scrutiny.
The statement read in part, “The former Vice President of Nigeria and chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, condemns, in the strongest terms, the decision of the Nigerian Senate to reject the real-time electronic transmission of election results.
“This ill-advised action represents a grave setback for electoral reform and a calculated blow against transparency, credibility and public trust in Nigeria’s democratic process.
“At a time when democracies across the world are strengthening their electoral systems through technology, the Nigerian Senate has chosen to cling to opacity, protect loopholes and preserve a system that has historically enabled manipulation, tampering and post-election disputes.
“Real-time electronic transmission of results is not a partisan demand; it is a democratic safeguard. It reduces human interference, limits result manipulation and ensures that the will of the voter—expressed at the polling unit—is faithfully reflected in the final outcome.
“To reject it and adopt the 2022 provision on so-called electronic transmission of results is to signal an unwillingness to submit elections to public scrutiny. This decision raises troubling questions about the commitment of the ruling political establishment to free, fair and credible elections in 2027.”
He emphasised that Nigerians are entitled to elections that are transparent, credible and free from manipulation.
The statement further read, “Nigerians cannot ignore the pattern: every reform that strengthens transparency is resisted, while every ambiguity that benefits incumbency is preserved.
“Atiku Abubakar has consistently maintained that democracy must evolve with time, technology and the legitimate expectations of the people. Elections must be decided by voters, not by manual delays, backroom alterations or procedural excuses.
“We call on Nigerians, civil society organisations, the media and the international community to take note of this regression and to continue demanding an electoral system that reflects modern democratic standards.
“Nigeria deserves elections that are transparent, verifiable and beyond manipulation. Anything less is an injustice to the electorate and a betrayal of democracy.”
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