SDP slams Senate resistance to electronic results transmission, warning it could erode public trust ahead of 2027 polls
The Social Democratic Party on Friday urged Nigerians to resist what it described as opposition by the leadership of the 10th Senate to a clear legislative mandate for real-time electronic transmission of election results, warning that any reversal could undermine public confidence ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Also read:Â Tinubu, APC leaders review convention preparations
The call was made by the National Publicity Secretary of the Social Democratic Party, Rufus Aiyenigba, in a statement issued in Abuja amid ongoing deliberations by the Senate on amendments to the Electoral Act.
In the statement, titled SDP stands with Nigerians to demand transparency and modernisation of our elections, Rufus Aiyenigba accused the Senate leadership of acting against the popular will expressed by Nigerians during nationwide public hearings on the proposed Electoral Act Repeal and Enactment Bill 2026.
Rufus Aiyenigba said the party was concerned by what he described as resistance to reforms aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s democratic process, particularly efforts to ensure a definitive legal mandate for real-time electronic transmission of election results.
The party argued that Nigerians had clearly spoken during the 2025 public hearings conducted by the Senate, calling for reforms that would address credibility concerns that followed the 2023 general elections.
According to the statement, election technologies such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and the INEC Result Viewing Portal remain indispensable to improving electoral integrity, reducing human error and limiting manipulation associated with the manual movement of results.
The Social Democratic Party maintained that opposition to electronic transmission does not reflect the views of the majority of lawmakers or the Independent National Electoral Commission, pointing to what it described as a more reform-driven posture by the current INEC leadership.
Rufus Aiyenigba warned that self-serving interests within the Senate must not be allowed to derail democratic reforms, insisting that the proposed Electoral Act 2026 must remove any ambiguity surrounding result transmission.
The party called on citizens, civil society organisations and pro-democracy groups to remain vigilant and oppose any attempt to weaken transparency in the electoral process.
The Social Democratic Party cautioned that Nigeria could not afford another credibility crisis similar to that which trailed the 2023 general elections, stressing that all stakeholders must act decisively to safeguard the democratic process ahead of 2027.
The debate over electronic transmission of results dates back to the Electoral Act 2022, which governed the 2023 elections.
While the Independent National Electoral Commission introduced the INEC Result Viewing Portal, the law allowed the commission discretion over the mode of transmission.
That discretion was upheld by the Supreme Court during litigation arising from the 2023 presidential election, as the court ruled that failure to upload polling unit results in real time did not invalidate the election.
Opposition parties and civil society groups are now pushing for the removal of discretionary language in the proposed Electoral Act 2026, seeking to make real-time electronic transmission a binding legal requirement.
Also read:Â Tinubu, APC leaders review convention preparations
The Senate Minority Caucus clarified on Thursday that the Senate had not rejected electronic transmission of results during the passage of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, following widespread criticism earlier in the week.
