Major Opposition Parties Denounce Senate’s Decision to Reject Mandatory Electronic Transmission of Election Results

PDP, ADC, and NNPP unite to condemn the Nigerian Senate's rejection of mandatory electronic election result transmission, citing risks to transparency.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 3, 2026, 4:04 AM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from THISDAYLIVE

United Opposition Against Legislative Rejection

In a rare display of unified dissent, Nigeria’s major opposition political parties have reiterated their strong condemnation of the Senate’s recent decision regarding the Electoral Act 2022. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) issued a joint statement following the Senate’s passage of an amendment that notably excluded the proposal for mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results from polling units. Spokespersons for the parties described the move as a "retrogressive act" that threatens the stability of the nation’s hard-earned democracy.

Concerns Over Democratic Backsliding

The opposition statement, signed by Comrade Ini Ememobong (PDP), Mallam Bolaji Abdulahi (ADC), and Ladipo Johnson (NNPP), expressed grave concern that the APC-led Senate is setting the country back by decades. They highlighted a perceived hypocrisy in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) strategy, noting that while the party utilizes technology for its own membership e-registration, it appears resistant to applying similar transparency to the national electoral process. According to the opposition, this suggests a deliberate attempt to preserve loopholes that could aid in the manipulation of future polls.

Addressing the Judicial Lacuna

A primary motivation for the proposed amendment was to resolve legal ambiguities encountered during the previous general elections. The opposition noted that the Supreme Court had previously ruled that electronic transmission lacked "legislative parentage" under the original Electoral Act 2022. By rejecting the mandatory nature of this technology, the opposition argues the Senate is intentionally leaving a lacuna that diminishes transparency and trust. They maintain that codifying electronic transmission is essential to deepening democratic consolidation and ensuring that election outcomes accurately reflect the will of the voters.