Former Minister of Education and economic policy expert Oby Ezekwesili has warned Nigerian senators that they are “playing with fire” by retaining what she described as dangerous ambiguities in the amended Electoral Act, insisting that Nigerians are demanding real-time electronic upload of election results at polling units.
Speaking in an interview on ARISE News on Friday, Ezekwesili reacted to the Senate’s passage of a bill amending the Electoral Act following hours of debate and controversy over provisions governing electronic transmission of results and the discretion granted to the Independent National Electoral Commission.
She argued that the Senate’s decision to retain Section 60 subsection 5 of the 2022 Electoral Act had already damaged public confidence in the electoral process.
“I think that the fundamental issue is that the Senate retained the INEC 2022 Act Section 60, subsection 5, which actually became infamous for the loophole that it provided for the INEC to not accord Nigerians the basis to trust it anymore,” Ezekwesili said.
She recalled assurances given by the electoral umpire ahead of the 2023 general election, particularly to young voters, which she said were not honoured.
“The then chairman of INEC kept telling especially the young people of this country that he was assuring them that they would exercise the effectiveness of using online transmission into the INEC results viewing portal,” she said.
According to her, the failure to upload results electronically became the foundation for widespread suspicion and legal outcomes that weakened transparency.
“Now, when they failed to do that, it became the basis for doubting what happened at polling units in the country,” she said. “It became the basis on which the judicial pronouncements were made that actually the law does not mandate INEC to upload results at every polling unit.”
Ezekwesili said citizens had seen the Electoral Act amendment process as an opportunity to close loopholes and restore confidence in Nigeria’s democracy.
“So the opportunity for reform of the INEC Act was embraced by citizens,” she said. “And so that every ambiguity, every loophole, every opportunity for discretion on the part of the institution on a matter that is at the heart of the transparency, the integrity, the credibility, and therefore the legitimacy of a democracy must be taken.”
She said Nigerians were justified in expressing anger over the Senate’s decision.
“Now, if that then went before the Senate and the Senate decided to do a sort of let sleeping dogs lie when indeed that was not the intention, the citizens have every reason to be as outraged as they currently are,” she said.
On citizens’ lawful options for engagement, Ezekwesili stressed that democracy derives its legitimacy from voters and warned against further alienating the electorate.
“We do know that the reason citizens love democracy is that of all the political systems, this is the only political system in which they legitimize public leadership,” she said. “That is why we say that the office of the citizen is in fact the highest office in the land.”
She described the 2023 election experience as damaging to public confidence.
“When the citizens who are actually the anchor on which democracy is built now say that an experience in the 2023 election was terrible, it did not build their confidence in their democracy, it eroded it,” she said.
Ezekwesili outlined steps citizens could lawfully take, including sustained engagement with their representatives and demands for public hearings.
“The options are very clear,” she said. “The citizens are already speaking loudly and saying this is not our expectation.”
She added that public disengagement from democracy should worry those in power.
“When citizens begin to disavow themselves from democracy, those who are in power should be worried,” she said.
Addressing concerns about incitement, Ezekwesili pointed to voter apathy as evidence of deep frustration.
“Our incumbent president, do you know how many Nigerians voted him? Less than 35% of the registered voters came out to vote,” she said. “It means they’ve checked out.”
She accused lawmakers of worsening the situation.
“And you now go ahead and make them more uninterested with this?” she asked. “They have a duty. They have a duty to the citizens.”
Explaining her warning to the Senate, she said the language reflected concern for the country’s future.
“That’s why I said to them, stop playing with fire,” Ezekwesili said. “It’s almost as if the political class, especially as exemplified by the Senate, just wakes up every morning and says, what shall we do today to upset Nigerians?”
She rejected the idea that citizens insisting on accountability amounted to incitement.
“Nigerian democracy belongs to the people,” she said. “It doesn’t belong to the politicians.”
Ezekwesili called on the Senate to immediately reverse course and adopt a clear provision mandating electronic transmission of results.
“I have recommended that the Senate should immediately cancel their two weeks emergency vacation from plenary and reconstitute and just make sure that they pass what the text of that provision says,” she said.
She read out the proposed clause, stressing that it left no room for discretion.
“The presiding officer shall electronically transmit the results from each polling unit to the INEC results viewing portal, IREV, in real time,” she said, adding that the transmission should occur after results forms are signed and stamped.
In her closing remarks, Ezekwesili urged lawmakers to act decisively.
“The senators know how to walk away from this,” she said. “Let them do it. Because frankly speaking, fire is dangerous. Transparency is better.”
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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