Former Education Minister Oby Ezekwesili has criticised the Senate over recent amendments to the Electoral Act, warning that lawmakers are risking another crisis by refusing to make electronic transmission of election results compulsory.
In a strongly worded public memo released Thursday, Ezekwesili accused the Senate of keeping loopholes that she says weakened the credibility of the 2023 general elections and damaged public trust in Nigeria’s democracy.
She took issue with the Senate’s decision to reject a proposal for mandatory real time electronic transmission of results from polling units, while insisting it had not scrapped electronic transmission altogether. According to her, leaving the method of result transmission to the discretion of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, creates what she called a dangerous ambiguity.
“Electronic transmission that is optional, discretionary and unenforceable is no safeguard at all,” Ezekwesili said, arguing that the same provision contributed to disputes after the 2023 elections.
The former minister dismissed claims that the clause protects INEC’s independence, saying transparency and accountability should come first. She warned that keeping the current framework could trigger fresh tensions if future elections are contested.
Ezekwesili urged the Senate to suspend its planned recess and return to pass a clear amendment that would require real time electronic upload of results to INEC’s result portal. She added that Nigerians have made their expectations clear and called on lawmakers to act quickly to rebuild confidence in the electoral system.
