Akpabio Slams Critics, Says Senate Did Not Scrap Electronic Result Transmission

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has dismissed criticisms over the Senate’s amendment of the Electoral Act, insisting that the legislature has not concluded work on the bill and that public reactions are based on a misunderstanding of parliamentary procedures.

Akpabio spoke in Abuja on Wednesday as the special guest of honour at the unveiling of a book titled “The Burden of Legislators in Nigeria”, authored by Senator Effiong Bob.

Addressing the controversy surrounding the removal of the phrase “real-time” electronic transmission of election results, the Senate President said debates on the matter were premature because the legislative process was still ongoing.

“The Electoral Act amendment is incomplete. We have not completed it, but they are already on television. They don’t understand lawmaking,” Akpabio said, explaining that Senate decisions are not final until the Votes and Proceedings stage is concluded.

He noted that during the Votes and Proceedings, senators are allowed to correct, amend or clarify resolutions taken on the floor before final approval, stressing that only after this stage can the Senate’s position be regarded as final.

Akpabio criticised some commentators and civil society actors for what he described as an “abuse” of the legislature, accusing them of attempting to impose their views on lawmakers without participating in the legislative process.

He clarified that the Senate did not remove electronic transmission of election results but only questioned the compulsory use of real-time transmission.

“I must state clearly, without ambiguity, that the Senate has not removed any means of transmission. The only issue was the word ‘real time,’” he said.

According to him, mandating real-time transmission could expose elections to legal disputes if network failures or power outages occur, particularly in areas facing insecurity or poor connectivity.

He argued that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should retain the discretion to determine the mode and timing of result transmission within the law, warning that rigid requirements could invalidate elections in affected areas.

Akpabio also cited a Supreme Court ruling which, he said, recognised Nigeria’s infrastructural limitations and affirmed that electronic transmission is supplementary to the statutory manual collation process.

He further noted that the amendment bill had not completed the bicameral legislative process, adding that a conference committee would still harmonise differences between the Senate and House of Representatives versions.

“It is only when we have finished that that you will now say the National Assembly has passed any amendment to the Electoral Act,” he said, urging critics to allow the process to run its full course.

The Senate President stressed that electoral reforms must align with legal frameworks and institutional capacity, warning against imposing technology beyond the country’s infrastructure.

“Technology must serve democracy; it must not endanger democracy,” he said.

Akpabio also recalled that the current Electoral Act enabled competitive elections in 2023, including losses by the then ruling party in key states, insisting that laws should be made for posterity rather than partisan advantage.

Earlier, the Chairman of the occasion and National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Senator David Mark, urged the National Assembly to pass the bill and allow INEC to decide on the feasibility of real-time electronic transmission.

Several speakers at the event, including Akwa Ibom State Governor Pastor Umo Eno and the book reviewer, Professor Maxwell Gidado (SAN), commended Senator Bob for highlighting the challenges faced by Nigerian legislators.

In his remarks, Senator Bob listed electoral disputes, conflicts with political actors, judicial interventions and constituency pressures as some of the burdens lawmakers face, stressing that defending democracy ultimately rests with the legislature.