A prominent Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain and gubernatorial aspirant in Oyo State has accused the Nigerian Senate of attempting to rig the 2027 general elections by rejecting mandatory electronic transmission of election results in the ongoing amendment to the Electoral Act.
Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, who made the criticism in a press statement issued on Friday, described the Senate's decision to make electronic transmission optional rather than compulsory as a deliberate move to create loopholes for electoral manipulation.
"The removal of electronic transmission of results from the Electoral Act by the Senate is an attempt to rig the 2027 general elections," Oguntoyinbo stated. He warned that the move represents "another way to take Nigeria backward" and opens doors for widespread rigging.
The PDP leader expressed deep concern over public discomfort with the Senate's action, noting that Nigerians are uneasy about the provision being left discretionary—allowing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to choose whether or not to transmit results electronically.
"Nigerians are not comfortable to hear that there is no electronic transmission of results in the Electoral Act or that it is optional, you can use it, or you cannot use it. No. The Electronic Transmission of Results should be made compulsory for INEC," he insisted.
Oguntoyinbo called on the Senate President to revisit the amendment, arguing that the current decision sends a wrong signal and risks dragging Nigeria "completely back into the stone ages." He emphasized the need to eliminate ambiguity in the law.
"Please, we don’t want ambiguity. Election results must be electronically transmitted from the polling units across the country," he said. "We should not return to the era of ballot box snatching. The lawmakers should help INEC to deliver a free, fair, credible and well accepted results."
The PDP chieftain further stressed that the Senate must ensure the Electoral Act is strengthened to guarantee that those who govern are duly elected by the people, warning that any ambiguity could undermine democratic integrity and public trust in the electoral process ahead of 2027.
The criticism comes amid growing outrage over the Senate's recent rejection of proposals to mandate real-time electronic transmission of results directly from polling units, a measure many see as essential to enhancing transparency following controversies in past elections.
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