Rejection of Compulsory Electronic Transmission of Election Results: RULAAC Accuses Senate of Declaring War Against Democracy

The Nigerian Senate has been accused of declaring an open war against democracy by rejecting the proposal for mandatory electronic transmission of election results in the amendment of the Electoral Act 2022. The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, RULAAC, says by deliberately weakening key electoral safeguards, the Senate led by Senator GODSWILL AKPABIO, had chosen impunity over integrity and rigging over reform. In a statement by its Executive Director, OKECHUKWU NWANGUMA, RULAAC said what transpired in the Senate on Wednesday, during the passage of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, 2026 is not a disagreement over policy details, but a calculated rollback of hard-won democratic gains. NWANGUMA noted that the rejection of compulsory electronic transmission of election results, alongside the compression of critical electoral timelines and restrictions on voter access to digital tools, is a conscious attempt to reopen the space for manipulation in the 2027 elections. “Let us be clear: this is not legislative oversight. It is legislative sabotage” he asserted. The RULAAC Executive Director further noted that “electronic transmission of results from polling units is one of the most effective guardrails against ballot snatching, result alteration, and post-election disputes. It is precisely because it limits fraud that it has now been targeted. By insisting that INEC retain vague discretionary powers on how results are transmitted, the Senate has preserved the very loopholes that have historically been exploited to subvert the will of voters.” He said: “equally troubling is the reduction of timelines for election preparation and candidate disclosure. These compressed timelines increase the risk of logistical failures, weaken transparency, and disadvantage voters while empowering political insiders who thrive in chaos and opacity. No democracy that is serious about credible elections deliberately weakens its own safeguards. “This Senate’s actions sharply contrast with the more progressive position taken by the House of Representatives, which has shown greater sensitivity to public interest and electoral credibility. Reports that the Senate version of the bill reflects the personal whims of its leadership rather than collective democratic reasoning only deepen concerns about arrogance, impunity, and contempt for citizens. “Nigeria’s democracy is already fragile. Voter apathy is rising, trust in institutions is collapsing, and young people increasingly feel alienated from the political process. At such a moment, any legislature committed to national stability would be strengthening confidence in elections - not tearing it down. OKECHUKWU NWANGUMA said RULAAC believes that what is unfolding is part of a broader pattern: an elite determination to maintain a criminal political status quo in which elections are mere rituals and power is insulated from accountability. This Senate is not merely out of touch; it is brazenly anti-people and anti-democracy. He challenged civil society organisations, youth movements, labour unions, professional bodies, faith leaders, and all defenders of democracy not to stay silent, as that would amount to complicity, but to mobilise, intensify advocacy and sustain public pressure on the political class to do the right thing on the electoral act amendment. “The Conference Committee must be compelled to reject the Senate’s regressive provisions and restore the progressive safeguards necessary to make votes count in 2027. “Democracy is not gifted by politicians; it is defended by citizens. If Nigerians allow this betrayal to stand, we should not feign surprise when our votes no longer matter and our elections lose all meaning.”