The major opposition political parties in Nigeria have slammed the Senate’s recent vote on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, warning that the rejection of mandatory electronic transmission of results is a “retrogressive act” capable of derailing the nation’s democracy.
In a joint press statement released on Thursday via the official X (formerly Twitter) handle of the Peoples Democratic Party, the PDP, African Democratic Congress, and the New Nigeria Peoples Party expressed deep concern over the Senate’s decision to maintain discretionary powers for result transmission rather than making real-time electronic uploads mandatory.
The opposition spokespersons, Ini Ememobong (PDP), Mallam Bolaji Abdulahi (ADC), and Bamofin Ladipo Johnson (NNPP), alleged that the APC-led Senate is intentionally protecting “loopholes” to aid future electoral manipulation.
“With this anti-people and anti-democratic action, we are concerned that the APC-led Senate may have set Nigeria’s democracy back by many decades.
“They are aware of the rejection that awaits them at the forthcoming polls. A free and fair election has therefore become a threat to them,” the statement read.
The parties pointed to a contradiction in the ruling party’s behaviour, questioning why the APC uses technology for its own internal e-registration of members but remains “averse to using technology to transmit results” for the general public.
The joint statement highlighted that recent judicial rulings, including those by the Supreme Court, have exposed a “lacuna” in the Electoral Act 2022. Because the current law does not explicitly mandate electronic transmission, the courts have often held that such transmission lacks “legislative parentage.”
“They are aware of the rejection that awaits them at the forthcoming polls. A free and fair election has therefore become a threat to them,” the statement read.
The parties pointed to a contradiction in the ruling party’s behaviour, questioning why the APC uses technology for its own internal e-registration of members but remains “averse to using technology to transmit results” for the general public.
The joint statement highlighted that recent judicial rulings, including those by the Supreme Court, have exposed a “lacuna” in the Electoral Act 2022. Because the current law does not explicitly mandate electronic transmission, the courts have often held that such transmission lacks “legislative parentage.”