By Myke Uzendu, Abuja
Former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has faulted the Senate over its decision on the electronic transmission of election results, describing the move as an insult to the collective intelligence of Nigerians amid nationwide agitation for electoral transparency.
Ezekwesili said the clause approved by the upper chamber undermines the collective will of voters and opens the door for possible manipulation of future elections, including the 2027 general polls.
In a series of posts on her X on Tuesday, she Senate President Godswill Akpabio, of sending a troubling signal to Nigerians that their votes may not count, warning that such actions could further erode public trust in the democratic process.
She wrote: “That cock-eyed provision on Electoral Transmission that the @NGRSenate just passed is an insult on the collective intelligence of Nigerians.
“In a functioning democracy, the Elected can NEVER be greater than the Collective Will of those who elected them. Never.”
Ezekwesili alleged that the Senate’s decision creates a loophole that could be exploited to rig future elections, adding: “The Senate President and his collaborators are brazenly giving Nigerians a heads-up that our votes will not count because that vexing clause they passed is their loophole to RIG the 2027 elections.”
She contrasted the Senate’s position with that of the House of Representatives, praising lawmakers in the lower chamber for passing a bill that mandates real-time electronic transmission of results.
“Again, kudos to the lawmakers @HouseNGR that boldly passed a Bill which legally mandates electronic transmission of polling units results in real time with this simple and HONEST text,” she stated, citing Clause 60(3), which provides that INEC “shall electronically transmit election results from polling units to the INEC Result Viewing Portal in real time.”
Ezekwesili said the House of Representatives had aligned itself with citizens’ demands for electoral transparency, adding: “We salute our members of the Nigerian House of Representatives for totally aligning with the Citizens’ quest for Electoral Transparency.”
She cautioned that public patience was wearing thin, warning lawmakers against undermining confidence in elections. “The REAL-TIME question is whether the Akpabio-led Senate is ready for the Nigerians who have run out of patience with their shenanigans,” she wrote.
Ezekwesili warned: “The answer is in the hands of the Senators. It is not wise to play with fire. Transparency is always better.”
