Atiku rejects manual collation clause in Electoral Act amendment
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has criticised the Senate’s decision to allow manual collation of election results as a backup to electronic transmission, warning that the move could create confusion in Nigeria’s electoral process.
On Tuesday, the Senate approved the electronic transmission of election results to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Result Viewing Portal (IReV). However, lawmakers included a provision permitting manual collation where technical challenges arise.
The decision follows the recent passage of the Electoral Act amendment bill. Lawmakers had earlier rejected a proposal mandating real-time electronic transmission of results, sparking protests and calls for a reversal.
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday in Minna, Niger State, after meeting former Head of State Ibrahim Babangida, Atiku expressed disappointment with the Senate’s stance. He said Nigerians had anticipated a fully electronic, real-time transmission system rather than a combination of electronic and manual processes.
“Nigerians were expecting real-time electronic transfer to the various levels of the elections, but what we got is a mixture of electronic and manual transmission, which is going to cause more confusion or chaos than if we had a single-tier electoral transmission system, which is real-time electronic. That would be our preference,” he said.
Atiku urged opposition political parties to unite and challenge the Senate’s decision. He insisted that the matter should not be allowed to rest and called for sustained advocacy in favour of real-time electronic transmission of results.
When asked about a possible presidential bid, Atiku said he was not considering the question at the moment. He noted that his current focus within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) is on strengthening the party’s structures from the ward level to the national stage while mobilising and registering members.
He also addressed the issue of zoning, stating that the ADC constitution does not provide for it. He added that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is the only political party with zoning enshrined in its constitution.
