Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has criticized the Nigerian Senate for failing to approve real-time transmission of election results to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) result viewing portal (IReV).
The Senate recently passed the Electoral Act amendment bill, approving electronic transmission of results to IReV, but included a clause allowing manual collation as a fallback if the technology fails. Last week, the chamber rejected a proposal mandating real-time transmission, prompting protests and calls for a reversal.
Speaking to journalists in Minna, Niger State, after meeting with former Head of State Ibrahim Babangida, Abubakar said the Senate’s approach could create confusion in the electoral process.
“Nigerians were expecting real-time electronic transfer at all levels of the election. What we have now is a mixture of electronic and manual transmission, which is likely to cause more confusion or chaos than a single-tier, real-time electronic system. That would be our preference,” he said.
Abubakar called on opposition parties to unite in demanding real-time transmission of election results:
“All opposition parties need to come together to pursue this issue. We should not allow it to rest where the Senate has left it. Absolutely not. I do not support that decision.”
Regarding his political plans, Abubakar stated that running for president in 2023 is not currently under consideration. He emphasized that his focus within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) is on strengthening party structures from the ward level up to the national level, while mobilizing and registering supporters.
He also clarified that the ADC constitution does not include any zoning provision, noting that only the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has zoning in its constitution.
