A prominent chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Buba Galadima, has strongly criticized the Senate's handling of proposed amendments to Nigeria's electoral laws, warning that the so-called Electronic Transmission Bill, if passed in its current form, would facilitate widespread institutional rigging in future elections.
Galadima accused the Senate of failing to make meaningful changes to the 2022 Electoral Act, describing their approach as an attempt to outsmart Nigerians while underestimating public intelligence.
He argued that the lawmakers deliberately retained problematic provisions, particularly those granting discretionary powers to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) regarding the electronic transmission of election results.
"The Senate hasn't made any amendments to the 2022 Electoral Act because they left it as it is," Galadima stated. "What the Senate did was try to be wise by half, and they thought Nigerians are as unintelligent as they are."
He specifically highlighted concerns over reliance on Form EC8A, the manual result sheet completed at polling units. According to Galadima, directing INEC to use only this form in the absence of successful electronic transmission would create loopholes for manipulation.
"If the Electronic Transmission Bill is passed as it is, INEC will be directed to use only Form EC-8A to enhance rigging," he said.
Galadima rejected any version of the bill that includes conditional clauses or "buts" limiting mandatory real-time electronic transmission of results from polling units to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal. "We are not taking any electronic transmission bill with a 'but'," he emphasized.
His comments come amid ongoing debates over amendments to the Electoral Act (often referred to in the context of 2026 reforms), where the Senate has faced backlash for not making real-time electronic transmission fully mandatory.
Critics, including Galadima, argue that leaving transmission at INEC's discretion, especially given the commission's leadership appointments by the executive opens the door to abuse and could undermine the credibility of the 2027 general elections.
Galadima's remarks reflect broader concerns among opposition figures and civil society that recent legislative moves prioritize political convenience over transparency and electoral integrity. He called for genuine reforms, including full mandatory electronic transmission without caveats, to safeguard Nigeria's democracy.
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