The Social Democratic Party (SDP) on Friday criticised the Senate leadership over what it described as resistance to a clear legal mandate for real-time electronic transmission of election results, warning that any reversal of electoral reforms could erode public confidence ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The SDP National Publicity Secretary, Rufus Aiyenigba, made this remark amid ongoing consideration of the amendments to the Electoral Act by the 10th Senate.
In a statement titled “SDP stands with Nigerians to demand transparency and modernisation of our elections,” Aiyenigba accused the Senate leadership of disregarding the outcome of nationwide public hearings on the proposed Electoral Act (Repeal and Enactment) Bill 2026.
According to the party, Nigerians had clearly expressed their preference for stronger electoral safeguards during the 2025 public hearings conducted by the Senate, particularly in response to credibility concerns arising from the 2023 general elections.
Aiyenigba argued that opposition to electronic transmission does not represent the views of most lawmakers or the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), citing what he described as a reform-driven disposition by the current INEC leadership.
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He said, “The SDP is deeply worried by the unimaginable and unpatriotic resistance of the leadership of the 10th Senate to positive change in our democratic journey, going by its deliberate attempts and actions in the on-going reforms on the Electoral Act, to go against the popular will of Nigerians to have a definitive legislative mandate that will allow for real-time transmission of election results.
“It is no longer deniable that the majority of our current senators who are true patriots, Nigerian citizens and the nation’s electoral umpire itself, want us to move forward in our quest for integrity of our elections, particularly going by the positive disposition of the new leadership of the INEC to incorporating integrity into our electoral processes anchored on transparency and credible elections.”
The party further warned that internal interests within the Senate must not be allowed to derail democratic reforms, insisting that the new Electoral Act must eliminate any ambiguity surrounding result transmission.
“The Party warns in strong terms, that the self-serving cabals within the senate leadership can no longer hold our democracy to ransom, and demands that the new Electoral Act (Repeal and Enactment) 2026 must as a matter of true national interest, come up with an unambiguous legislative mandate and legal command on electronic transmission of results in real-time by polling unit presiding officers to avoid any possible legal manipulation of our future elections,” Aiyenigba said.
He added that INEC had demonstrated both the capacity and readiness to transmit results electronically if allowed to operate without legislative constraints.
“The INEC has demonstrated that it has the infrastructure, technical capacity, will, and patriotic disposition to effectively transmit election results in real-time if the anti-democratic hawks would allow the Commission to do its duties without any encumbrances,” he said.
The SDP called on citizens, civil society organisations and pro-democracy groups to remain vigilant and actively resist any action capable of weakening electoral transparency, warning that Nigeria could not afford another credibility crisis in 2027.
“The nation cannot afford to have the 2027 general elections go the way of a lack of credibility as we had in 2023. All hands must, therefore, be on deck to save our democracy and Nigeria from taking retrograde steps in this new age,” the statement added.
The debate over electronic transmission dates back to the Electoral Act 2022, which governed the 2023 elections. While INEC deployed the IReV platform, the law granted the commission discretion over the mode of transmission, a provision upheld by the Supreme Court during post-election litigation.
Opposition parties and civil society groups are now pushing for the removal of that discretionary clause in the proposed Electoral Act 2026 to make real-time electronic transmission of results a mandatory legal requirement.
