Olusegun ARIYO
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has criticised the Nigerian Senate for rejecting the real-time electronic transmission of election results, describing the move as a deliberate attack on electoral transparency.
In a statement released on Wednesday night, Atiku said the Senate’s decision represents a major setback for electoral reforms and weakens public confidence in Nigeria’s democracy.
“At a time when democracies across the world are modernising their electoral systems through D-
technology, the Nigerian Senate has opted to maintain opacity and protect loopholes that allow manipulation and post-election disputes,” he said.
Atiku warned that the Senate’s choice continues to support a system that has historically enabled result tampering.
“Every reform that strengthens transparency is resisted, while every ambiguity that benefits incumbency is preserved,” he added.
He stressed that real-time electronic transmission is not a partisan demand but a democratic safeguard.
“It reduces human interference, limits result manipulation, and ensures that the will of the voter expressed at the polling unit is faithfully reflected in the final outcome,” Atiku said.
The former vice president also criticised the adoption of the 2022 provisions on electronic transmission, calling it insufficient and a sign of unwillingness to make elections fully transparent.
He further expressed concern about the intentions of the political establishment as Nigeria approaches the 2027 general elections.
Urging Nigerians, civil society organisations, media outlets, and the international community to remain vigilant, Atiku called for continued efforts to bring Nigeria’s electoral system alive and in line with global democratic standards.
