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Major opposition political parties have strongly condemned the Senate’s rejection of mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results from polling units, describing the decision as retrogressive and dangerous to Nigeria’s democracy.

In a joint press statement issued on Wednesday, February 4, 2026 the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC) and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) said the Senate’s action, contained in the amendment to the Electoral Act 2022 passed on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, had grave implications for the credibility of future elections.

The parties warned that the decision by the APC-controlled Senate could derail Nigeria’s hard-earned democratic gains, alleging that it reflected an anti-people and anti-democratic posture.

According to the opposition parties, the rejection of electronic transmission of results had attracted widespread condemnation from Nigerians across political and social divides, who view it as a deliberate setback to electoral transparency.

They questioned why the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), which is currently deploying technology for nationwide electronic registration of its members, would oppose the use of technology for transmitting election results.

The parties accused the APC of seeking to preserve loopholes in the electoral process, claiming the ruling party was aware of growing public dissatisfaction and the electoral rejection it faces in forthcoming polls.

They further expressed disappointment that senators failed to rise above partisan interests, noting that the legislature, as a key symbol of democracy, ought to have acted in the national interest rather than party loyalty.

The opposition parties recalled that courts, including the Supreme Court, had previously ruled that the Electoral Act 2022 did not make electronic transmission of results mandatory, a gap they said needed urgent legislative correction to prevent future electoral disputes.

They argued that mandatory electronic transmission would enhance transparency, build public trust and strengthen Nigeria’s democracy, adding that the Senate’s rejection had effectively returned the country to “square one.”

Calling on the conference committee of the National Assembly, the parties urged its members to align with the will of Nigerians by adopting the House of Representatives’ position on mandatory real-time electronic transmission of results.

The statement was signed by the National Publicity Secretaries of the PDP, ADC and NNPP, Comrade Ini Ememobong, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi and Bamofin Ladipo Johnson respectively, and dated February 5, 2026.

Full text of the statement reads:

JOINT PRESS STATEMENT BY MAJOR OPPOSITION PARTIES ON SENATE’S
REJECTION OF MANDATORY ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION OF RESULTS
FROM POLLING UNITS.

Yesterday, the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria passed the amendment to the Electoral Act 2022, wherein, among other things, it rejected the proposal to make mandatory real-time electronic transmission of results at the polling units.
The grave implications of this retrogressive act by the Senate has compelled us as spokespersons of the major opposition political parties to jointly address this issue, which is capable of derailing our hard-earned democracy.
With this anti-people and anti-democratic action, we are concerned that on, the APC-led Senate may have set Nigeria’s democracy back by many decades. It is therefore not surprising that it has deservedly attracted widespread opposition and condemnation from Nigerians across all divides.
we are at a loss as to why a party that is currently deploying technology to run an e-registration of their members across the country is averse to using technology to transmit results.
We therfore harbour no doubts about the intention of the All Progressives Congress (APC), which is in firm control of the two chambers of the National Assembly. They know Nigerians are fed up with them. 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. This is why they have to preserve and protect any loopholes that could aid the manipulation of the electoral process to their advantage.
However, regardless of their party affiliation, we would have expected the Senators to rise above party sentiments and act in the best interest of democracy, for which the legislature remains its most important symbol. But as usual, they failed the people they are supposed to represent.
In the last election, we are witnesses to the plethora of cases where the court, especially the Supreme Court, held that there was nowhere in the principal Act, which is the Electoral Act 2022, where electronic transmission was made mandatory and therefore the act is lacking of legislative parentage. This immediately signalled a lacuna that needed to be urgently fixed to ensure that future elections do not suffer the same fate. However, beyond providing a basis for judicial action in future, the electronic transmission will increase transparency, trust and belief in the electoral process, which in turn will deepen and consolidate democracy in our country. With this rejection, the Senate has returned Nigeria to square one.

The ball is now in the court of the conference committee, and we strongly urge its members to align themselves with the Nigerian people by adopting the position of the House of Representatives on mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results. They should not act as politicians, whose eyes and thoughts are only on the next elections, but as statesmen, who should have the next generation in mind. We are trusting that they will act in the best interest of the people, to forestall the negative consequences that may be result in foisting anti-democratic laws on the people.

Signed:

Comrade Ini Ememobong
National Publicity Secretary
Peoples Democratic Party

Mallam Bolaji Abdulahi
National Publicity Secretary Secretary
African Democratic Congress

Bamofin Ladipo Johnson
National Publicity Secretary
New Nigeria Peoples Party
5th February, 2026.