Some opposition members of the National Assembly have strongly criticised the decision not to make electronic transmission of election results to the IReV platform compulsory, accusing the leadership of undermining public confidence in the electoral process.
They expressed anger over the development, saying Nigerians had expected real-time electronic transmission to guarantee that votes are accurately counted.
Abaribe Advises Voters Ahead of 2027
Former Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe, urged citizens to safeguard their votes during the 2027 general elections by ensuring trained and motivated party agents are present at polling units.
“Nigerians can defeat any attempt to rig their votes. All we need to do is to get properly motivated and trained agents who will not be afraid to confront sabotage at the polling stations,” he said.
Legislative Changes Spark Controversy
The House of Representatives had earlier approved a bill mandating electronic transmission of results. However, the Senate opted for manual transmission, later inserting provisions for both electronic and manual methods in cases of network failure. The House subsequently aligned with the Senate’s position, and President Bola Tinubu signed the measure into law shortly after passage.
Opposition lawmakers said the ruling All Progressives Congress had prevailed, but insisted the struggle for electoral integrity would continue.
Labour Party, Minority Caucus Kick
Speaking for the Labour Party Nigeria caucus, Afam Ogene questioned the speed with which the president signed the bill, saying Nigerians’ concerns about election credibility were overlooked. He also accused political leaders of abandoning earlier support for electronic voting, citing a 2013 statement by Lai Mohammed of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria backing such reforms.
Minority Caucus leader Kingsley Chinda said lawmakers opposed clauses that could enable “micro-manipulation” of results and accused APC members of rejecting their proposals for partisan reasons. He added that political parties should retain the freedom to determine their own candidate selection methods.
Calls for Public Resistance
Ikwechegh Alexander Mascot of the All Progressives Grand Alliance urged Nigerians to mobilise and resist what he described as a political anomaly, encouraging voters to turn out and protect their ballots.
Similarly, Peter Uzokwe criticised changes made after meetings at Aso Rock and dismissed network failure as justification for manual transmission, arguing that delayed connectivity should not invalidate electronic reporting.
House Leadership Defends Process
Defending the legislation, House spokesperson Akin Rotimi said electoral reforms were not partisan and reflected majority decisions taken in line with constitutional procedures.
He noted that the law formally recognises electronic transmission of Form EC8A, making it mandatory where possible, with manual transmission only as a backup. The process, he said, was bipartisan and designed to ensure certainty ahead of timelines set by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
“What we have may be imperfect, but it was done in the best interest of Nigerians,” Rotimi said, describing the reform as a step toward credible elections.
