‘A Fraud on the Nation’: Opposition Blasts Senate’s ‘Anti-Democratic’ Vote Killing Electronic Results Transmission

ABUJA, February 6, 2026

Nigeria’s major opposition parties have launched a scathing, unified attack on the Senate, accusing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of orchestrating a deliberate plot to rig future elections by rejecting mandatory electronic transmission of poll results.

In a joint statement on Thursday, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) declared that the Senate’s action has “set Nigeria’s democracy back by many decades” and is a direct threat to the nation’s hard-earned democratic system.

The controversy stems from the Senate’s passage of amendments to the Electoral Act 2022 on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, which omitted a crucial clause mandating the real-time electronic transmission of results from polling units. This provision was widely seen as a key reform to enhance transparency and public trust following disputes in previous elections.

“The APC-led Senate may have set Nigeria’s democracy back by many decades,” the opposition spokespersons stated. “With this anti-people and anti-democratic action… 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.”

The statement highlighted what it called a glaring contradiction, noting that the APC is currently using technology to register its members nationwide while its lawmakers reject technology for transmitting election results. “We are at a loss as to why a party that is currently deploying technology… is averse to using technology to transmit results,” it read.

The opposition argued that the Senate’s failure to act creates a dangerous legal vacuum. They pointed to recent court judgments, including from the Supreme Court, which cited the lack of a mandatory electronic transmission requirement in the existing law as a critical weakness. “This immediately signalled a lacuna that needed to be urgently fixed… With this rejection, the Senate has returned Nigeria to square one,” the statement warned.

Accusing APC senators of placing partisan survival above national interest, the parties said the lawmakers had “failed the people they are supposed to represent” by not rising above “party sentiments.”

The focus now shifts to a National Assembly conference committee, which will reconcile the Senate’s version with that of the House of Representatives, which reportedly supports mandatory electronic transmission. The opposition made a final appeal, urging committee members to “act as statesmen, who should have the next generation in mind” and to “align themselves with the Nigerian people.”

“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,” the statement concluded.

The signed statement was issued by Comrade Ini Ememobong (PDP), Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi (ADC), and Bamofin Ladipo Johnson (NNPP).

Full text of the opposition 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