Former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has cautioned Nigerian senators against what she described as dangerous legislative choices, warning that the continued ambiguity in the amended Electoral Act could weaken democracy and public trust.
She said Nigerians are strongly demanding real-time electronic upload of election results at polling units, stressing that lawmakers must respond to citizens’ expectations with clarity and accountability.
Speaking on a live television programme on Friday, Ezekwesili reacted to the Senate’s recent passage of the Electoral Act amendment bill after hours of debate and controversy surrounding provisions on electronic transmission of results and the discretionary powers granted to the Independent National Electoral Commission.
She criticised the decision to retain Section 60, subsection 5 of the 2022 Electoral Act, describing it as a major loophole that damaged public confidence in the electoral process.
According to her, the provision became infamous after the 2023 general elections, when expectations for transparent and real-time electronic transmission of results were not met, especially among young voters who had been assured of a credible digital process.
She recalled that the leadership of INEC had promised citizens that election results would be uploaded electronically to the official results viewing portal, but the failure to fulfil that pledge created widespread suspicion and legal controversies.
Ezekwesili noted that the inability to upload results electronically formed the basis for judicial rulings which stated that the law did not expressly mandate INEC to transmit results in real time from polling units.
She said Nigerians had embraced the amendment process as an opportunity to close existing loopholes, strengthen transparency, and rebuild trust in the democratic system.
She added that every ambiguity and discretionary opening within the electoral framework must be eliminated, especially in areas central to electoral credibility and legitimacy.
The former minister said citizens were justified in expressing outrage over the Senate’s decision, insisting that democracy draws its authority from voters and that public trust must not be taken for granted.
She warned that growing voter apathy should worry political leaders, noting that less than 35 per cent of registered voters participated in the 2023 presidential election, which she described as a sign of declining faith in the democratic process.
Ezekwesili accused lawmakers of worsening public disengagement, stressing that elected officials have a duty to protect the integrity of elections and uphold citizens’ expectations.
She rejected claims that citizens’ demands for accountability amounted to incitement, stating that democracy belongs to the people and not to politicians.
Calling on the Senate to reverse its decision, she urged lawmakers to adopt a clear legal provision that mandates real-time electronic transmission of results from polling units to INEC’s results portal.
She recommended that the Senate suspend its legislative recess and urgently address the matter to prevent further erosion of public confidence.
Ezekwesili concluded by warning that political leaders must stop undermining democratic principles, adding that transparency remains the safest path to stability and national unity.
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