Opposition parties condemn Senate Over electronic results transmission vote

Opposition political parties in Nigeria have strongly criticized the Senate following its decision to reject a proposal for the mandatory electronic transmission of election results.

Their joint statement came despite denials from Senate President Godswill Akpabio that such a rejection had occurred.

The spokespersons for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) issued a joint warning, urging senators to prioritize democratic principles over party loyalty.

They expressed deep concern over the implications of the Senate’s action, calling it a “retrogressive act” capable of undermining the nation’s democracy.

The parties accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), which controls both legislative chambers, of setting back Nigeria’s democratic progress.

They suggested the APC, aware of widespread public dissatisfaction, seeks to preserve loopholes for manipulating future electoral outcomes.

“A free and fair election has therefore become a threat to them,” the statement read.

The opposition questioned the ruling party’s inconsistency, noting its use of technology for internal party member registration while opposing it for transparent result transmission.

They lamented that senators failed to act in the broader national interest, stating, “as usual, they failed the people they are supposed to represent.”

Citing recent election litigation, the parties highlighted that courts, including the Supreme Court, have pointed to a lacuna in the current Electoral Act 2022, which does not mandate electronic transmission.

They argued the Senate’s rejection fails to address this critical gap, leaving future elections vulnerable to the same legal and procedural challenges.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled:  Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

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