Adewole Adebayo, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, has warned that the 2027 elections may not hold if President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly refuse to make electronic transmission of election results mandatory.
Mr Adebayo said any attempt to conduct elections without legally backing electronic transmission would undermine democracy and could trigger stiff resistance from Nigerians.
“Let me seize this opportunity to warn Senator Godswill Akpabio, Speaker Abbas, those who work in the National Assembly, and President Tinubu. I can tell you that we are extremely serious and sensitive about this electronic transmission,” Mr Adebayo said Sunday on ARISE TV.
A group of senators on Thursday accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of removing the provision for the electronic transmission of election results from the electoral bill passed during Wednesday’s proceedings.
He added, “If they want the democracy to end on this subject, we will give it to them. They must put it (electronic transmission of results) because that’s what people want, or they should resign and leave the place. If they think we are going to make a noise for two or three days and forget about it, we are not. If you don’t do electronic transmission, if you don’t put in the law, this election will not hold, and the government will leave.”
He insisted that Nigerians would not tolerate a return to manual collation of results. According to him, credible elections depend on technology-driven transparency.
“They must put it. We are not joking. If we have to do whatever it takes to make them do it, legally, because they are not acting legally, so we’ll do it pragmatically,” Mr Adebayo explained. “I can tell you, we are gentle. We love the country. We want the system to run. But if they play a ‘monkey game’ with us on this issue of electronic transmission, I don’t mind contesting an election that is free and fair, and I lose. I will salute the winner.”
Mr Adebayo accused the federal lawmakers of turning themselves into “a set of electoral bandits” and hijacking every opportunity that “the people want for peaceful improvement of our lot”.
“Anyone who is skating and dancing around the issue of electronic transmission definitely has shown you the first warning that they don’t want a free and fair election,” the opposition politician stated.
ADC chieftain David Mark recently specifically warned the Senate against usurping the powers of INEC ahead of the 2027 elections.
