‘Deliberate Assault’ on Democracy-Atiku Blasts Senate Over Rejection of Real-Time Electronic Transmission of Election Results

By Emmanuel Kwada

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has strongly condemned the Nigerian Senate’s decision to reject mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results, describing the move as a calculated setback to electoral transparency and a betrayal of Nigeria’s democratic progress.

In a scathing statement released on Thursday, Atiku, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), accused the Senate of deliberately undermining public trust in the electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Senate, during its consideration of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2026, voted against a proposed clause that would have required presiding officers to transmit polling unit results electronically to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Result Viewing (IReV) portal in real time.

Instead, lawmakers retained the existing provision from the 2022 Electoral Act, which allows transmission “in a manner as prescribed by the Commission,” a clause critics argue leaves room for discretion and potential manipulation.

Atiku described the Senate’s action as “ill-advised” and a “grave setback for electoral reform.” He argued that real-time electronic transmission is not a partisan issue but a fundamental democratic safeguard that minimizes human interference, curbs result tampering, and ensures voters’ choices are accurately reflected in final outcomes.

“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,” Atiku stated. “To reject it… is to signal an unwillingness to submit elections to public scrutiny.”

He highlighted a troubling pattern in Nigerian politics, where reforms enhancing transparency face resistance while ambiguities favoring incumbents are preserved.

Atiku questioned the ruling establishment’s commitment to free, fair, and credible elections in 2027, warning that such decisions raise doubts about the integrity of future polls.

“At a time when democracies across the world are strengthening their electoral systems through technology, the Nigerian Senate has opted for regression,” he added.

He emphasized that elections should be decided by voters at the polls, not through “manual delays, backroom alterations, procedural excuses, or even by the courts.”

Atiku called on Nigerians, civil society organizations, the media, and the international community to take note of what he termed a “regression” and to demand an electoral framework aligned with 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,” he concluded.

The Senate’s decision has sparked widespread criticism, with opposition figures and civil society groups echoing concerns that it could heighten risks of electoral fraud. Senate President Godswill Akpabio has clarified that the chamber did not reject electronic transmission outright but chose to maintain the status quo provision.

The Electoral Act Amendment Bill, which includes other changes, now awaits reconciliation between the Senate and House of Representatives versions before potential presidential assent.

The controversy underscores ongoing debates over strengthening Nigeria’s electoral integrity amid preparations for the 2027 polls.