The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has strongly criticized the Senate’s recent reconsideration of its stance on the real-time electronic transmission of election results. The upper chamber introduced an addendum allowing manual transmission in cases where technology reportedly fails.
In a press statement signed by Comrade Ini Ememobong, mnipr, National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, the party described this move as a disguised attempt to retain the same flaws as the initial rejection of mandatory electronic transmission, while giving the false impression of accommodating public demands.
The PDP emphasized that manual transmission is already adequately covered under the existing Electoral Act. The push for real-time electronic transmission seeks to add a vital second layer of verification to stop result tampering during transit to collation centres—a persistent problem that has undermined Nigeria’s elections for years.
The party questioned the logic behind claims that BVAS technology, which reliably handles voter accreditation during elections, would suddenly fail when transmitting results and related data from the same process.
According to the statement, this caveat exposes the deep-seated fears of Senators opposing full electronic transmission—especially Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who is believed to still be affected by his 2019 election defeat, where technology helped prevent overvoting.
The PDP stressed that Nigeria’s interests far outweigh the personal or political agendas of any lawmakers.
The party therefore called on the Conference Committee to adopt the House of Representatives’ version of the bill as the unified position, as a true demonstration of commitment to credible elections in 2027. Lawmakers were urged to prioritize the long-term health of democracy over short-term political calculations, warning that failure could etch the names of Senator Akpabio and others who opposed electronic transmission into a notorious chapter of history.
The PDP also appealed to Nigerians to stay firm in their demand for real-time electronic transmission of election results, insisting there is no room for excuses. Hard-earned democratic gains must not be entrusted solely to politicians.
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