…Calls for full electronic system
By Myke Uzendu, Abuja
Former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has criticised the proposal for a mixed system of electronic and manual transmission of election results, warning that it could pose a serious threat to Nigeria’s electoral process.
Atiku spoke in an interview with journalists on Tuesday in Minna, Niger State, shortly after a courtesy visit to former Military President, retired Gen. Ibrahim Babangida.
He said Nigerians had expected a fully electronic transmission of election results at all levels, noting that the adoption of a hybrid system could undermine the integrity of elections and create confusion during result collation.
“What Nigerians were expecting was electronic transmission of results across the various levels of the election,” Atiku said.
“What we got instead was a mixture of electronic and manual transmission, which is going to cause more confusion and could jeopardise our electoral transmission system,” he added.
The former vice president stressed that real-time electronic transmission of results remains the most credible option for elections in the country.
Meanwhile, the Senate has constituted a 12-member Electoral Act Conference Committee to harmonise differences in the proposed amendments to the Electoral Act.
President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, announced the composition of the committee during an emergency plenary session on Tuesday. The committee is expected to meet with its counterpart in the House of Representatives to reconcile areas of disagreement in the amendment bill and produce a harmonised version for final passage.
The conference committee will review contentious clauses and other areas of divergence between the versions passed by both chambers of the National Assembly before presenting a unified document for adoption.
Atiku also called on opposition political parties to close ranks and jointly pursue electoral reforms, particularly on the issue of electronic transmission of results.
“There is a need for all opposition political parties to come together to pursue this issue,” he said.
“We should not allow it to rest where some people want it to rest. I do not support that,” he added.
Clarifying his visit to Babangida, Atiku said it was purely a customary visit to pay respect to an elder statesman, dismissing speculations about his political ambitions ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“The issue of whether I will be contesting the 2027 election has not even arisen,” he said.
He disclosed that his party, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), is currently focused on strengthening its structures nationwide.
According to him, the ADC is working to ensure that its organisational framework is firmly established from the ward, local government and state levels up to the national level.
“We are busy mobilising people and registering them at the same time,” Atiku said.
He added that the ADC constitution does not provide for zoning of political offices.
