Human rights activist and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has asserted that credible and transparent elections would significantly alter Nigeria’s political structure, claiming that most current office holders would lose their positions.
Sowore made the remarks on Wednesday during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, where he addressed the ongoing controversy surrounding amendments to the Electoral Act, particularly provisions concerning the transmission and collation of election results.
The Senate recently approved electronic transmission of results but retained a clause permitting manual collation in areas lacking internet connectivity. The decision has drawn widespread criticism from political stakeholders and civil society groups.
According to Sowore, resistance to stronger electoral safeguards stems from self-preservation among lawmakers. He dismissed claims that poor network coverage justifies retaining manual collation.
“The claim that some states do not have network coverage is just another excuse,” he said. “They are afraid of transparent elections because once elections become truly transparent, 90 per cent of those sitting in the National Assembly — and even those occupying other elected offices, including the presidency — will not be there.”
He described the amendment as strategically crafted to dilute the impact of electronic transmission. By maintaining manual procedures as a fallback option, Sowore argued, lawmakers have effectively preserved avenues for manipulation.
“The way the amendment was done is clever by half,” he stated, warning that the clause reopens space for a return to compromised result declaration practices.
Sowore further criticised the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) technological infrastructure, particularly the IREV platform, contending that it falls short of global best practices. He urged Nigeria to move beyond result transmission and adopt full electronic voting to enhance electoral integrity and restore public confidence in the democratic process.
