National Opposition Movement (NOM) has expressed strong concern over the Senate’s recent decision to amend the Electoral Act, describing it as a threat to Nigeria’s democracy.
Gatekeepers News reports that in a statement on Tuesday, the group said it was alarmed by the Senate’s passage of a provision that allows electronic transmission of election results from polling units but also permits a wide return to manual collation whenever transmission fails.
The statement was signed by Hon. Chille W. Igbawua, Hon. Zakari Mohammed, Hon. Abiodun Olasupo, Mr. Kenneth Okonkwo, Hon. Sergius Ogun, and Mallam Ibrahim AbdulKareem.
According to NOM, this means that any polling officer or the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) can claim a “technical glitch” to avoid electronic transmission, leaving the process open to abuse.
The movement described the Senate’s action as a form of trickery through complex legal drafting, stating that it is unbecoming of a legislative body that claims to represent the will of Nigerians.
It recalled that the 2023 presidential election was marred by INEC’s failure to electronically transmit results, adding that the Supreme Court ruled there was no mandatory obligation because electronic transmission was only included in INEC guidelines and not in the Electoral Act itself.
NOM explained that the main goal of amending Section 60 of the Electoral Act was to make electronic transmission of results compulsory and remove INEC’s discretion. However, it said the new Senate provision instead expands INEC’s discretion, allowing it to refuse electronic transmission under any excuse permitted by the law.
The group warned Nigerians about the danger this poses to democracy, noting that rigged elections in neighbouring countries have led to military coups. It accused the Senate, led by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, of ignoring the overwhelming views of Nigerians expressed during public hearings and public protests, describing the move as a dangerous path and a direct attack on the will of the people.
NOM also called on the international community, especially the United States and the European Union, to take note of what it described as a conspiracy against Nigerian democracy and a plan by the APC government to compromise the 2027 general elections even before voting begins.
The movement urged Nigerians of all political backgrounds, including workers and professionals, to rise and oppose what it called an assault on democracy. It demanded an electoral law that clearly mandates electronic transmission of election results without ambiguity, insisting that the version of the amendment passed by the House of Representatives should be adopted as the final law.
The statement ended with a declaration of resistance against any plot against electoral integrity, with the signatories pledging not to surrender in the struggle for free and fair elections.
