Afenifere Condemns Senate’s Rejection of Electronic Transmission of Election Results

Segun James

The Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has described the Senate’s rejection of mandatory real-time electronic transmission of results as undemocratic and self-serving.

The group said the rejection was tantamount to a betrayal of constitutionalism and multiparty democracy, accusing the lawmakers of prioritising political incumbency over democratic integrity.

Afenifere stated this in a joint statement signed by its leader, Oba Oladipo Olaitan, and the National Publicity Secretary, Prince Justice Faloye.

According to Afenifere, the decision “is obviously self-serving and a move towards a one-party state, teleguided by the executive as witnessed over the years in Lagos State.”

The group observed that while the Senate insisted that the electronic transmission is “still allowed” under existing law, the Supreme Court previously ruled that such transmission is not mandatory because it is not explicitly provided for in the Electoral Act 2022.

“By refusing to codify it as a legal requirement in the 2026 Bill, the Senate intentionally leaves the process vulnerable to administrative ‘glitches’ or selective non-compliance, undermining the spirit of the Nigerian Constitution’s call for free and fair elections,” Afenifere said.

The group further noted that Section 78 of the 1999 Constitution empowers the National Assembly to legislate for credible federal elections.

It stated that, unfortunately, the Senate has subverted mandatory transparency by rejecting an amendment to Clause 60(3) that would have legally required INEC to transmit results from polling units to the IReV portal in real time.

“By rejecting mandatory electronic transmission, the Senate fails to advance constitutional imperatives for fair elections, allowing potential interference that contravenes the spirit of democratic governance and equal suffrage under Sections 117-119.

“The rejection of Clause 47, which sought to allow downloadable electronic voter cards with QR codes, forces a continued reliance on physical Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs). This decision disenfranchises voters who may lose their physical cards and ignores modern digital identification advancements, directly contradicting the goal of making elections more accessible,” it said.

Afenifere called on the Joint Committee set up to harmonise the different House of Representatives and Senate versions, “to let democracy survive by accepting mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results from polling booths to IRev.”