ABUJA – The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called on the National Assembly to remove any clauses that permit exceptions to the real-time electronic transmission of results, warning that some of the Electoral Amendment Bill’s discretionary provisions, which were approved by the 10th Senate, could undermine the legitimacy of upcoming elections.
The ADC added in a follow-up statement, which was signed by Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, National Publicity Secretary, that its original response was predicated on early media reports indicating the law promised real-time results transmission.
Later, more thorough reports revealed that the Senate-passed version included clauses that would allow for manipulation during the results collation process.
“Any clause in our electoral rules that introduces discretion, ambiguity, or technical flaws into the transmission and compilation of election results seriously compromises the electoral process’s integrity and is unacceptable in good conscience.
Election legitimacy is based on explicit, unequivocal legal guarantees that uphold the people’s will, not on promises.
Therefore, the ADC believes that the best way to win over the public and bolster Nigerian democracy is through an Electoral Amendment Act that clearly requires the electronic transmission of results in real time, without any exclusions that could be abused.
“Any provision that weakens this safeguard should be immediately addressed and removed by the National Assembly, and the final version of the Bill should be in line with the House of Representatives’ recommendations that required results to be sent electronically,” Abdullahi stated.
As the National Assembly Conference Committee attempts to harmonize the bill, the ADC further asked Nigerians and opposition parties to maintain their vigilance, stating that the final legislation must ensure the unconditional real-time broadcast of election results across the country.
