The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has warned that fresh provisions in the amended Electoral Act could undermine real-time electronic transmission of election results, cautioning that alleged discretionary clauses may open the door to manipulation.
In a statement issued Wednesday in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said it initially welcomed reports that the Senate had strengthened safeguards guaranteeing electronic transmission of results.
According to the ADC, early media accounts suggested that the upper chamber had passed a version of the Electoral Amendment Bill that firmly entrenched real-time transmission — a reform long demanded to protect votes and bolster electoral credibility.
However, the party said more detailed information that later emerged indicates that the Bill, as passed, contains what it described as controversial discretionary provisions capable of weakening that safeguard.
“Our initial reaction was based on early media reports which indicated that the Senate had passed a version of the Electoral Amendment Bill that guarantees the real-time transmission of election results,” the party stated.
“However, subsequent and more detailed reports have since revealed that the Bill, as passed, contains a controversial provision which introduces discretionary clauses capable of weakening the guarantee of real-time electronic transmission and opening the door to the intentional manipulation of election results.”
The ADC stressed that electoral laws must eliminate ambiguity, particularly regarding the transmission and collation of results.
“Any provision in our electoral laws that creates ambiguity, discretion, or technical loopholes around the transmission and collation of election results fundamentally undermines the integrity of the electoral process and cannot be accepted in good conscience,” it said.
The party argued that the credibility of elections depends not on assurances but on clear and unambiguous legal guarantees that reflect the will of the electorate.
It maintained that only an Electoral Amendment Act that unequivocally mandates real-time electronic transmission — without exceptions that could be exploited — would command public confidence and strengthen Nigeria’s democracy.
The ADC therefore urged the National Assembly to revisit and remove any provision that dilutes mandatory e-transmission and align the final version of the Bill with the position earlier adopted by the House of Representatives.
As the Bill proceeds to harmonisation between both chambers, the ADC’s position signals a fresh round of debate over the legal framework that will shape Nigeria’s next electoral cycle.
E-Transmission Row: ADC Raises Red Flag Over ‘Dangerous Loopholes’ in Amended Electoral Bill
