Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the national assembly conference committee to adopt the version of the Electoral Act amendment bill passed by the House of Representatives, which mandates real-time electronic transmission of election results to Independent National Electoral Commission’s result viewing portal (IReV).
Gatekeepers News reports that the party’s appeal follows recent developments in the Senate, where lawmakers initially passed the amendment bill but rejected the proposal for real-time electronic transmission of results.
The decision triggered widespread protests and public criticism, with civil society groups, opposition parties, and concerned Nigerians demanding an immediate reversal.
In response to the backlash, the Senate later reviewed its position and approved electronic transmission of results to IReV. However, it added a provision allowing manual collation to serve as an alternative in cases of technological failure, a move that PDP said weakens the intention of the amendment.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, PDP spokesperson, Ini Ememobong, criticised the inclusion of manual collation, describing it as a backdoor attempt to undermine the push for full electronic transmission. He argued that manual collation is already sufficiently covered under the existing 2022 Electoral Act and should not be reintroduced as a fallback option.
Ememobong explained that the demand for electronic transmission is aimed at creating an additional layer of verification to prevent the manipulation of results before they reach collation centres, a challenge he described as a long-standing problem in Nigeria’s electoral history.
He questioned the justification for allowing manual transmission, especially when the bimodal voter accreditation system (BVAS) is already relied upon for voter accreditation during elections.
“It is inconceivable that the same BVAS technology which undertakes accreditation throughout an election would suddenly become unreliable for the transmission of results and accreditation data arising from that same exercise,” he said.
He further accused some senators of opposing full electronic transmission out of political fear, suggesting that real-time result transmission would significantly reduce opportunities for electoral manipulation.
“They must be reminded that Nigeria is bigger than their narrow personal and political interests,” he added.
The PDP spokesperson urged members of the conference committee, which is tasked with harmonising the differences between the Senate and House versions of the bill, to adopt the House of Representatives’ position if they are genuinely committed to delivering free, fair, and credible elections in 2027.
He also encouraged Nigerians to remain firm and vocal in demanding transparent electoral reforms, stressing that the future of the country’s democracy should not be left solely in the hands of politicians.
