Nigeria’s main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, has criticized the Senate’s revised stance on electronic transmission of election results, saying the move could weaken safeguards meant to protect the integrity of elections.
In a statement on Tuesday, PDP National Publicity Secretary Ini Ememobong described the Senate’s decision to allow manual transmission when electronic systems fail as a backdoor attempt to water down reforms many Nigerians have demanded.
The Senate had reviewed its earlier position and approved electronic transmission of results, but added a provision permitting manual transmission in situations where the technology breaks down.
The PDP argued that the Electoral Act already provides for manual transmission and said the push for electronic upload is meant to add an extra layer of verification to reduce manipulation between polling units and collation centres.
The party also questioned why manual transmission should be an option when electronic systems are said to have failed, pointing out that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System is routinely used during elections without major disruptions.
In its statement, the PDP accused some lawmakers of resisting electronic transmission for political reasons and specifically mentioned Senate President Godswill Akpabio, suggesting personal interests may be shaping legislative decisions.
The party urged the National Assembly’s conference committee to adopt the House of Representatives’ version of the amendment as the final position, arguing that it offers stronger guarantees for credible elections in 2027.
It also called on Nigerians to keep pushing for real time electronic transmission of results, describing it as critical to protecting the country’s democracy.
