The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has raised alarm over what it describes as “unimaginable and unpatriotic resistance” by the leadership of the 10th Senate against reforms to Nigeria’s electoral process. In a press statement issued on Thursday, the party called for a definitive legislative mandate for the electronic transmission of election results.
In a statement signed by Araba Rufus Aiyenigba, SDP National Publicity Officer, the move reflects the clear demand of Nigerians, who voiced their preference for real-time results during nationwide public hearings on the Electoral Act (Repeal and Enactment) Bill 2026.
The party highlighted that critical technologies such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) are key to reducing human errors and preventing manipulation during manual result transportation.
“It is no longer deniable that the majority of our current senators who are true patriots, Nigerian citizens and the nation’s electoral umpire itself, want us to move forward in our quest for integrity of our elections,” the SDP stated.
The party further warned that “self-serving cabals within the senate leadership can no longer hold our democracy to ransom” and insisted that the new Electoral Act must include “an unambiguous legislative mandate and legal command on electronic transmission of results in real-time by polling unit presiding officers.”
According to the SDP, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) already possesses the “infrastructure, technical capacity, will, and patriotic disposition to effectively transmit election results in real-time,” but some lawmakers are obstructing its implementation.
The party concluded by urging Nigerians, civil society groups, and all democrats to actively resist any attempts by lawmakers “hell-bent on promoting and serving their interest against the true interest of Nigeria,” warning that the nation cannot afford a repeat of the credibility challenges experienced during the 2023 general elections.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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