Electronic Results Row: Obidient Movement Accuses Senate of Democratic Sabotage, Mobilises Protest to National Assembly
The Obidient Movement, supporters of Peter Obi, the Labour Party 2023 Presidential candidate has rejected the Nigerian Senate’s decision to refuse the mandatory electronic transmission of election results, describing the move as a calculated attempt to undermine Nigeria’s democracy ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The movement said the retention of a clause in the 2022 Electoral Act permitting manual collation of results amounts to a deliberate preparation for electoral manipulation.
The movement warned that the decision represents a direct attack on democratic governance, arguing that the refusal to mandate electronic transmission of results from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing Portal (IREV) would entrench opacity and erode public trust in the electoral process.
In a statement signed by the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Dr. Yunusa Tanko on Friday, the group recalled the controversies and disputes that trailed the 2023 general elections, which it attributed to the failure to fully implement electronic transmission of results.
“This failure to pass a clear safeguard is nothing short of a deliberate assault on Nigeria’s democracy. By rejecting these essential transparency measures, they are eroding the very foundation of credible elections.”
It further questioned the intentions of the current leadership, asking whether government exists to ensure order and justice or to institutionalise chaos for the benefit of a privileged few.
The Obidient Movement also accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), which controls the National Assembly, of deliberately undermining free, fair and credible elections, describing it as ironic for a party that uses electronic processes for its internal affairs to deny Nigerians similar transparency in national polls.
It said Nigeria was falling behind other African countries that are embracing technology to strengthen their democracies.
Calling for resistance, the movement declared that it would not remain silent while the future of the country is compromised and urged Nigerians, civil society organisations and the international community to take note of what it described as preparations for future electoral manipulation.
It announced plans for a peaceful march to the National Assembly, with the date to be announced through its communication channels, insisting that Nigerians must “rise up, resist, and reject” democratic sabotage.
“We hereby call on all Nigerians to join us in a peaceful march to the National Assembly to press our demand: That both chambers convene an emergency sitting to revisit this critical issue and immediately pass into law the mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results to INEC’s IREV portal, in line with the clear will of the Nigerian people they represent.”
