Former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, on Tuesday joined demonstrators at the National Assembly complex in Abuja, backing calls for compulsory real-time electronic transmission of election results in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, 2026.
Appearing on the fourth day of protests, Ezekwesili cautioned lawmakers against inserting what she described as “dangerous ambiguities” into the proposed legislation. She argued that leaving room for discretion in transmitting results could undermine electoral credibility.
“If the Senate gets away with a provision that is ambiguous — one that gives power of discretion instead of making it mandatory then every vote will not truly count,” she said.
Ezekwesili maintained that electoral transparency must be anchored on a clear, non-negotiable requirement for instant electronic transmission of results, rather than optional implementation.
“The way our votes will count is to make this provision mandatory and central to electoral transparency,” she added, warning against a return to controversies that have trailed past elections.
She accused some political actors of resisting reforms that would strengthen accountability within the electoral system, alleging that opposition to compulsory e-transmission was driven by a desire to manipulate outcomes.
“The only reason they resist real-time electronic transmission is because they want to continue to capture our democracy,” she said.
The renewed protest follows last week’s emergency plenary session of the Senate, where lawmakers revisited Clause 60(3) of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill amid public backlash. During deliberations, Senate Chief Whip Senator Tahir Monguno proposed removing the phrase “real-time” and replacing “transmission” with “transfer,” sparking heated debate.
The Senate ultimately approved electronic transmission of results to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s viewing portal, while retaining manual collation as a backup in case of technical failures.
Demonstrators, however, rejected the compromise, insisting that the nation’s election budget already provides for adequate technological infrastructure and that manual alternatives could weaken transparency.
Security operatives barricaded entrances to the National Assembly complex, forcing protesters to gather outside the gates.
Linking governance challenges to electoral weaknesses, Ezekwesili urged lawmakers to safeguard democratic integrity.
“We as citizens are saying: stop any coup against this democracy. Stop it,” she declared.
Source: Punchng