Abuja: The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has expressed strong disapproval over the Senate’s decision to reject the electronic transmission of election results and the electronic download of voter cards. The party argues that these measures are crucial for ensuring the credibility of future elections and enhancing the efficiency of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, issued a statement in Abuja condemning the Senate’s decision to reject reforms to the Electoral Act. The ADC warns that this development poses a threat to the credibility of elections in Nigeria. The party also criticized the Senate’s decision to reduce election notice periods and shorten the timelines for the publication of candidates’ lists.
The ADC has urged the Nigerian public to resist these changes and has called on the Electoral Act Conference Committee to overturn the Senate’s decision and pass amendments that reflect the people’s interests. The statement highlighted that the Senate also voted against key reforms, including the electronic download of voter cards from the INEC website, and reduced the notice period for elections as well as the timeline for publishing candidates’ names from 150 days to 60 days.
The party emphasized that the proposed provisions were designed to offer necessary safeguards against electoral abuse and to restore voter confidence in the electoral process. As a leading opposition party, the ADC has unequivocally condemned the Senate’s actions and called on all Nigerians to reject them.
In response to these claims, Senate President Godswill Akpabio addressed the matter during a plenary session, refuting the accusation that the Senate failed to pass the electronic transmission of results. He clarified that the Senate retained Clause 60, which pertains to the electronic transmission of election results, as initially proposed. Akpabio assured that electronic transmission has been maintained in the Senate’s provisions and refuted claims circulating on social media about the Senate’s rejection of electronic transmission.
Akpabio stated, “Electronic transmission has always been in our hearts, and what we did was to retain the electronic transmission, which has been in our hearts, and which was used in 2020.” He urged the public not to be misled by misinformation and confirmed that the Senate, under his leadership, has not rejected electronic transmission of results. He also mentioned that the final votes and proceedings would be made available to those who apply and are entitled to see them.