Atiku seeks Electoral Act amendment to mandate electronic result transmission
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called for comprehensive amendments to the 2022 Electoral Act to remove discretionary powers from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and strengthen Nigeria’s electoral integrity.
In a statement on Thursday, Atiku said the law must explicitly mandate the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for voter accreditation and the uploading of election results from all polling units and collation centres, without allowing INEC to revert to manual processes.
He further demanded the compulsory electronic transmission of results from polling units to the INEC Results Viewing Portal (iREV), removing any discretion for manual result reporting. Atiku argued that these measures are essential to prevent manipulation and restore public confidence in elections.
“The envisaged reforms will return power to the people to choose their leaders and not a conclave of interested parties,” Atiku said, warning that reliance on manual accreditation and collation undermines electoral credibility.
Citing the low 26.72 per cent voter turnout in the 2023 general election, he stressed that Nigeria’s democracy is at risk unless electoral and judicial reforms are implemented to guarantee transparency, accountability, and constitutional compliance.
Atiku’s proposals also include electronic collation of results at every stage — ward, local government, state, and national — strictly based on data transmitted to iREV. He also called for democratic voting for top INEC appointments and shifting the burden of proof in election petitions from petitioners to the electoral body.
