Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has faulted the Senate’s latest position on the electronic transmission of election results, describing it as a calculated attempt to undermine electoral transparency under the guise of compromise.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, mnipr, the opposition party said the lawmakers’ decision to allow manual transmission “where technology is said to fail” is nothing more than a disguised rejection of real-time electronic results.
According to the PDP, manual transmission is already provided for in the Electoral Act, and does not address the long-standing problem of result manipulation during collation. The party stressed that electronic transmission is meant to serve as an added layer of verification to prevent tampering.
“It is inconceivable that the same BVAS technology which successfully undertakes accreditation throughout an election would suddenly become unreliable for the transmission of results and accreditation data arising from that same exercise,” the party stated.
The PDP further accused some senators, particularly Senate President Godswill Akpabio, of opposing electronic transmission out of personal and political fears.
“This caveat is a clear indication of the humongous fear being harboured by Senators opposed to electronic transmission, particularly Senate President Godswill Akpabio, whom we reasonably suspect remains haunted by the ghost of his 2019 election loss,” the statement said.
The party warned that individual ambitions must not be allowed to override national interest, stressing that “Nigeria is bigger than their narrow personal and political interests.”
Calling on lawmakers to demonstrate commitment to credible elections, the PDP urged members of the Conference Committee to adopt the House of Representatives’ version of the bill as the final position.
“We urge members of the Conference Committee to adopt the version of the bill passed by the House of Representatives as the harmonised position, if indeed they are committed to delivering credible elections in 2027,” the party said.
It also cautioned that senators who oppose electronic transmission risk being remembered negatively in history.
“Should this democracy fail, the names of Senator Akpabio and all Senators who voted against electronic transmission will undoubtedly occupy a conspicuous chapter in the book of infamy,” the statement added.
The PDP equally appealed to Nigerians to remain firm in demanding real-time electronic transmission of results, insisting that the country cannot afford further excuses.
“This is no time for excuses. This hard-won democracy is far too valuable to be left in the hands of politicians alone,” the party declared.