Electoral Act: Outrage after Senate rejects electronic transfer of results

2026-02-04 - 21:47

...it’s a shameful betrayal of Nigerians by lawmakers- Labour Party ...Elected representatives toying with Lawmakers toying with Nigeria’s stability – Okorie By John Alechenu Abuja: The Labour Party (LP), has described the rejection of electronic transfer of results by the Nigerian Senate as a shameful betrayal of Nigerians by persons elected to represent them. Mr. Ken Asogwa, Special Adviser of the Interim National Chairman of the Senator Nenadi Usman, said this while responding to the Senate decision on Wednesday. He said, “The decision of the Nigerian Senate to reject the electronic transmission of election results from polling units to the INEC server is one of the most retrogressive and anti-people decisions taken by the Nigerian legislature since the return to democracy in 1999. “Since the 2023 general elections, the singular and consistent clamour of the Nigerian people has been for the electronic transmission of results, as a means of checking the irregularities and hiccups witnessed during the last polls. “What, then, are lawmakers amending in the 2022 Electoral Act if the very clause required to improve transparency and credibility in our electoral process is deliberately rejected? “Only those bent on rigging the process would scorn reforms aimed at strengthening electoral integrity. “What makes the present lawmakers think they would always be beneficiaries of a flawed system? Those who refuse to do the right thing today for narrow partisan interests may ultimately become victims of their own actions tomorrow. A defective process spares no one. “That said, we will continue to urge Nigerians not to waver in the face of setbacks such as this. With sustained vigilance and collective resolve, the outcome of the 2027 elections can still reflect the true will of the Nigerian people. “Through determination, unity, and alertness at the polls, the people can still defend their mandate and our democracy.” Speaking in a similar vien, the founding National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Chekwas Okorie, described the Senate action as an affront on the sensibilities of Nigerians. He wondered why the National Assembly chose to live “in the Stone Age” while the rest of the world is making steady progress towards technology and modernization. Okorie said, “I’m not surprised but disappointed that the Senate has decided to be a cog in the wheel of Nigeria’s democratic progress. “This National Assembly has since its inauguration in 2023 left no one in doubt that it swore an oath to be a rubber stamp of the current executive. “While they are at it, they must bear in mind that Nigeria is better than all of us, it is bigger than the ruling party and every trick it is plotting to use to deny Nigerians the right to freely elect their leaders come 2027. “This is a call for all Nigerians to be vigilant because vigilance is the eternal price we must pay to protect our democratic rights. “We will mobilize, organise and ensure that the sanctity of our votes is protected from the polling booths to the units, wards up till the collation centre. No glitch will be allowed to deny Nigerians the right results.”