Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has strongly criticised the Senate’s rejection of mandatory electronic transmission of election results, describing the decision as a grave threat to Nigeria’s democracy and a continuation of what he termed the nation’s “now disgraced status.”
In a statement posted on his X (formerly Twitter) handle, Obi said he deliberately delayed commenting on the electoral controversy to mourn victims of a tragic incident in Kwara State. “Let us all pause and pray for the souls of over 150 innocent lives lost in Kwara yesterday,” he wrote, adding that the tragedy underscores deeper governance failures in the country.
Condemning the Senate’s action, Obi described the rejection as “an unforgivable act of electoral manipulation ahead of 2027,” warning that the refusal to pass mandatory electronic transmission of results undermines transparency and credible elections. According to him, “This failure to pass a clear safeguard is nothing short of a deliberate assault on Nigeria’s democracy.”
The former Anambra State governor argued that many of the disputes that marred previous elections, particularly the 2023 general election, were a direct result of the refusal to fully implement electronic transmission. “Nigerians were fed excuses of a fabricated ‘glitch’ that never existed,” Obi said, noting that while several African countries have embraced electronic transmission to strengthen democracy, Nigeria continues to lag behind despite its self-acclaimed status as Africa’s largest democracy.
Obi further lamented what he described as deliberate resistance to reform by the political elite, stating, “We are wasting time hosting conferences and drafting papers on Nigeria’s problems while we, the leaders and elite, are the real issue.” He warned that rejecting mandatory electronic transmission amounts to entrenching disorder to serve the interests of a few at the expense of the nation’s future.
Reflecting on past global criticisms of Nigeria, Obi recalled how the country reacted defensively when former UK Prime Minister described Nigeria as “fantastically corrupt” and when former U.S. President Donald Trump referred to Nigeria as a “now disgraced nation.” He added, “Yet, with every act of resistance against transparency and reform, we continue to affirm their claims.”
Issuing a strong warning ahead of the next general election, Obi declared, “Let there be no illusion, the criminality witnessed in 2023 will not be tolerated in 2027. Nigerians everywhere must start getting ready to rise up, resist, and reject the backward trajectory, legitimately and decisively reclaim our country from the clutches of deliberate malevolence.”
He also called on the international community to pay attention to what he described as groundwork for future electoral manipulation, stressing that such actions endanger Nigeria’s democracy and development. Obi concluded with a familiar rallying call: “A new Nigeria is POssible but we must all stand and fight for it.”