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Members of the civil society groups, pro-democracy and rights organisations on Wednesday vehemently rejected the condition attached by the Senate in its approval of the electronic transmission of election results in the Electoral Act amendment for the 2027 general election.
Leaders of the Movement for Credible Elections (MCE) insisted on a mandatory electronic transmission of results, accusing the Senate of trying to ambush Nigerians on the legal and constitutional rights.
The Movement parades Dr Usman Bugaje, Professor Pat Utomi, labour leader, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, Hajia (Dr) Bilikisu Magoro, Dr Tanko Yinusa, Comrade Shettima Yerima, Ambassador Nkoyo, among other leading pro-democracy cum rights activists and politicians.
The coalition was reacting to the subtle shift of position of the Senate, following the outrage that trailed its initial objection last week to provision 60(3) for electronic transmission of results in the Electoral Act Amendment 2026 bill ahead of the general election.
The Senate reappraised its position after an emergency plenary on Tuesday.
The position of the Movement was signed by a statement signed by Comrade Olawale Okunniyi, Head of the national secretariat
Recall that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar also expressed fear that the position of the Senate was a recipe for confusion in the next elections
In its reaction, the MCE expressed serious concern over the Senate’s amendment to Section 60(3) of the Electoral Act 2022, which, while mandating electronic transmission of results to the IReV portal, permits a fallback to manual collation where electronic transmission is claimed to have failed due to network issues.
According to the movement, the amendment by the Senate falls short of the clear and overwhelming demand of Nigerians for only mandatory electronic transmission of results.
He said: “By allowing manual result sheets (Form EC8A) to become the primary source of collation on account of alleged network failure, the Senate has inadvertently reopened the door to electoral manipulation.
“Manual collation remains the most compromised stage of the electoral process, and it’s the very problem electronic transmission was designed to eliminate.
“Allowing manual collation to override electronically captured results effectively entrenches the status quo and undermines public confidence in electoral reforms. Nigerians did not ask for conditional electronic transmission; they demanded a system that decisively blocks manipulation.”
Similarly, other leading civil society organisations called on the joint Conference Committee set up by the Senate and House of Representatives to adopt the Lower Chamber’s position on electoral transmission.
The position of the coalition was contained in a statement jointly issued by the Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO), The Kukah Centre, International Press Centre (IPC), Elect Her, Nigerian Women Trust Fund, TAF Africa and Yiaga Africa.