Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has slammed the Nigerian Senate’s decision to reject real-time electronic transmission of election results, describing it as a direct attack on electoral transparency and a serious setback to democratic reform.
Reacting in a statement on Tuesday, Atiku said the move weakens public trust in elections and signals a refusal by the political establishment to subject the process to public scrutiny.
“The decision of the Nigerian Senate to reject the real-time electronic transmission of election results is a deliberate assault on electoral transparency,” he said.
According to him, the action flies in the face of global democratic trends and sustains loopholes that have long enabled manipulation and post-election disputes.
“At a time when democracies across the world are strengthening their electoral systems through technology, the Senate has chosen to cling to opacity and protect a system that enables manipulation,” Atiku stated.
The former vice president stressed that electronic transmission of results is a democratic safeguard, not a partisan demand, noting that it reduces human interference and protects the will of voters at polling units.
“Real-time transmission limits result manipulation and ensures that the will of the voter is faithfully reflected in the final outcome,” he said.
Atiku warned that rejecting the reform sends a dangerous signal ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“This decision raises troubling questions about the commitment of the ruling political establishment to free, fair and credible elections in 2027,” he said.
He accused lawmakers of consistently resisting reforms that promote transparency while preserving ambiguities that favour incumbency.
“Every reform that strengthens transparency is resisted, while every ambiguity that benefits incumbency is preserved,” Atiku added.
Calling for action, Atiku urged Nigerians, civil society groups, the media and the international community to resist what he described as a regression in the country’s electoral process.
“Nigeria deserves elections that are transparent, verifiable and beyond manipulation. Anything less is a betrayal of democracy,” he said.
The Senate’s decision has continued to spark widespread debate, with critics warning that it could undermine confidence in future elections.