Nigerian Opposition Blasts Senate, APC Over Rejection of E-Transmission of Election Results

Abuja, Nigeria – February 5, 2026 – Nigeria’s major opposition parties have criticised the Senate for rejecting mandatory electronic transmission of election results, warning that the move could undermine the credibility of the 2027 general elections.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), and New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) jointly condemned the upper chamber after it on Wednesday turned down an amendment to Clause 60, sub-section 3 of the Electoral Amendment Bill. The amendment sought to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to transmit election results in real time.

Instead, the Senate granted INEC the discretion to decide whether results would be electronically transmitted, a decision that has drawn sharp rebuke from the opposition.

In a joint statement signed by PDP, ADC, and NNPP spokespeople – Ini Ememobong, Mallam Bolaji Abdulahi, and Bamofin Ladipo Johnson – the parties accused the APC-led Senate of deliberately creating loopholes to facilitate electoral manipulation.

“With this anti-people and anti-democratic action, we are concerned that the APC-led Senate may have set Nigeria’s democracy back by many decades,” the statement read. “They are aware of the rejection that awaits them at the forthcoming polls. A free and fair election has therefore become a threat to them.”

The parties further criticised the Senate for rejecting technology in elections while the ruling party continues to use e-registration to manage its membership database across the country. They warned that the Senate’s decision could derail Nigeria’s democratic progress.

The development has sparked mixed reactions among Nigerians, with critics accusing Senate President Godswill Akpabio and the APC leadership of shielding loopholes that could be exploited to influence future elections.

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