A former Director-General of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council, Mr Akin Osuntokun, has criticized the Senate’s rejection of electronic transmission of election results, warning that the move could undermine the growth of democracy in Nigeria.
Osuntokun, who recently joined the African Democratic Congress and previously served as Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria, spoke to reporters in Lagos on Friday, reacting to the Senate’s decision to exclude electronic transmission of results from the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2026.
He described the rejection as suspicious and logically linked to potential manipulation of elections. “The growth of democracy is rooted in accountability and the integrity of elections. Anything that makes elections less accountable makes them less credible. Automatically, it obstructs the growth of democracy in Nigeria,” Osuntokun said.
He added that the decision lacked a tenable explanation and undermined safeguards that reduce manual interference in vote counting. “Using electronic transmission makes the election less susceptible to manipulation. Any intervention that enhances transparency should be embraced, but they rejected it,” he stated.
Despite his concerns, Osuntokun said the decision was unlikely to deter voter turnout, but it may make citizens more vigilant and assertive at polling stations. “Voters will remain physically present to ensure that votes counted are credible. Distrust may provoke indignation and anger, but it will not stop participation,” he said.
The Senate had on Wednesday passed the Electoral Act 2022 Repeal and Re-enactment Amendment Bill 2026 after the third reading, rejecting a proposed amendment to Clause 60, Subsection 3 of the bill that sought to make electronic transmission of results mandatory. Lawmakers opposing the proposal cited technical and logistical challenges for nationwide implementation.
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