The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised the Senate’s revised position on the real-time electronic transmission of election results, describing it as a “clever by half” attempt to undermine the process.
In a statement by the National Publicity Secretary Comrade Ini Ememobong, the party condemned the Senate’s addendum allowing manual transmission where technology allegedly fails, arguing that it effectively achieves the same outcome as the earlier outright rejection while appearing to heed public demand. The PDP noted that manual transmission is already provided for under the Electoral Act.
The party emphasised that electronic transmission introduces a second-layer authentication to prevent result manipulation en route to collation centres—a problem that has historically plagued Nigeria’s elections. It dismissed claims that the BVAS technology, successfully used for voter accreditation, could fail in transmitting results.
The PDP singled out Senate President Godswill Akpabio, suggesting that opposition to electronic transmission stems from personal political fears linked to his 2019 election loss. “Nigeria is bigger than narrow personal and political interests,” the statement said.
The party urged the Senate Conference Committee to adopt the version of the bill passed by the House of Representatives to ensure credible elections in 2027. It warned that failure to embrace electronic transmission would mark opponents with “a conspicuous chapter in the book of infamy.”
PDP also called on Nigerians to remain steadfast in demanding real-time electronic transmission, stressing that the country’s hard-won democracy should not be compromised for political expediency.
