Ajadi slams Senate over removal of electronic result transmission

…Warns of Rigging Ahead of 2027

A gubernatorial aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State, Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, has faulted the Senate’s decision to remove electronic transmission of election results from the Electoral Act, warning that the move could undermine the credibility of the 2027 general elections.

Ajadi described the Senate’s action as a deliberate setback to Nigeria’s democratic gains, cautioning that it could reopen the door to widespread electoral malpractice and erode public confidence in the electoral process.

The PDP chieftain made his position known in a press statement issued to journalists on Friday in Ibadan, while reacting to the Senate’s recent rejection of provisions that would have empowered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to electronically transmit results directly from polling units.

According to him, the absence of electronic transmission creates loopholes that could be exploited to manipulate election outcomes.

“Nigerians are deeply uncomfortable with the rejection of electronic transmission of results by the Senate,” Ajadi said. “Removing this provision from the Electoral Act or making it optional sends a very wrong signal and raises serious concerns about the integrity of future elections.”

He urged the Senate President and members of the upper chamber to urgently revisit the amendment, insisting that electronic transmission of results should be mandatory rather than discretionary.

“The electronic transmission of results must be compulsory for INEC. The alleged decision of the Senate is not only ambiguous, it is dragging Nigeria back into the stone ages,” he stated.

Ajadi warned that ambiguity in the Electoral Act could lead to a return to an era marked by ballot box snatching, result manipulation and election-related violence at polling units.

“We do not want ambiguity. Election results must be electronically transmitted directly from polling units across the country,” he said. “Lawmakers should be supporting INEC to deliver free, fair, credible and widely accepted elections.”

He concluded by calling on the National Assembly to place the will of Nigerians above political interests, stressing that only a clear and unambiguous Electoral Act can guarantee that elected leaders truly reflect the choice of the people.

“The Senate must ensure that Nigeria is governed by leaders duly chosen by the electorate. This can only be achieved by tidying up the Electoral Act and removing every form of uncertainty from its provisions,” Ajadi added.

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