Aisha Yesufu, a frontline activist, has called on the Senate to impeach its President, Godswill Akpabio, over the rejection of electronic transmission of election results. The Senate recently passed the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2026, retaining the existing provision allowing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to determine the mode of result transmission, rather than making real-time electronic transmission mandatory ¹ ² ³.
The decision has sparked widespread criticism, with groups like the Movement for Credible Elections (MCE) and the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room condemning the move as a "deliberate democratic sabotage" and a "retrogressive step" that undermines transparency and public trust in elections. Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar described the decision as a "grave setback for electoral reform" and a "calculated blow against transparency, credibility, and public trust" ⁴ ⁵ ⁶.
Senate President Akpabio clarified that electronic transmission remains allowed, but the phrase "real-time" was removed to avoid potential legal disputes arising from technical or network failures ¹ ³.
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