Senate President Godswill Akpabio has pushed back against widespread criticism following the Senate's decision to reject a proposal that would have made real-time electronic transmission of election results mandatory under the ongoing amendment to the Electoral Act.
Speaking in Abuja as the special guest of honour at the unveiling of the book *The Burden of Legislators in Nigeria*, authored by Senator Effiong Bob, Akpabio insisted that the Senate had not scrapped electronic transmission altogether. Instead, lawmakers deliberately removed the requirement for “real-time” transmission during clause-by-clause consideration of the bill.
He explained that the move was driven by practical concerns: enforcing mandatory real-time uploads could spark legal challenges if network failures, power outages, or insecurity disrupt connectivity—particularly in rural areas or states with poor infrastructure. “Technology must save and not endanger democracy,” Akpabio said, adding that if the law mandated real-time transmission and a system failure occurred, courts could invalidate results, creating chaos.
The Senate President emphasized that electronic transmission remains permissible under the law, as it was in the 2022 Electoral Act used during the 2023 elections. “The Senate has not removed any means of transmission,” he clarified. “If you want to use your phone to transmit, do so. If you want to use other methods, do so. We retained what was already there.”
The decision has drawn sharp backlash from opposition parties, civil society groups, and figures like former Education Minister Oby Ezekwesili, who argued it weakens transparency and opens doors to manipulation. The Nigerian Bar Association also criticized the retention of discretionary transmission provisions, warning they undermine public trust in elections.
Akpabio dismissed much of the outrage as premature, noting that the amendment process is incomplete and lawmakers are still refining the bill. He urged critics not to rush to judgment based on incomplete information, stressing that the Senate aims to craft laws that reflect Nigeria’s realities while protecting democratic integrity.
The controversy has prompted the Senate to schedule an emergency plenary session as public debate intensifies ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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