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Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, has dismissed recent claims credited to Senate President Godswill Akpabio that real-time transmission of election results may fail in some parts of Nigeria due to poor networks.
Obi had on Monday led a group of protesters to the National Assembly Complex in Abuja over the senate’s rejection of real-time electronic transmission of election results.
Among the protesters were student and civil society groups, some members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and the Obidient Movement — a group of Obi’s supporters.
Following the outrage that trailed the controversial amendment, Akpabio said the red chamber did not reject electronic transmission of election results but retained the provision as contained in the Electoral Act 2022.
The senate president said the only adjustment made was the removal of the phrase “real-time” from the provision.
He said “real-time means that in over nine states where networks are not working because of insecurity, there will be no election results. Nationally, if the national grid collapses and no network is working, no election results will be valid”.
According to him, the senate’s decision was intended to give INEC the flexibility to determine the most suitable mode of result transmission in view of technological and security realities.
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In a statement shared via X on Tuesday, Obi said Akpabio’s claim that certain states lack network coverage is no longer acceptable.
“Financial institutions operate nationwide through secure digital networks to conduct transactions and collect taxes on a daily basis,” he said.
“If banking systems function seamlessly, our electoral system can and should do the same.”
He said he participated in Monday’s protest “to demand urgent electoral reforms that truly reflect the will of the Nigerian people”.
According to him, the protesters want anyone seeking to hold titles such as Honourable, Distinguished, or Excellency to emerge through a transparent and honourable process.
“Aspirants for public office should provide verifiable records of their primary, secondary, and tertiary education, along with fulfilling other constitutional requirements such as age and qualifications. No one should aspire to lead without having gone through due process,” Obi said.
The ex-Anambra governor added that beyond eligibility, “candidates must engage in open campaigns, public scrutiny, and debates as mandated by law”.
Most importantly, he said, election results must be transmitted electronically and in real-time to protect the people’s mandate and eliminate manipulation.
“Nigeria must stop being a so-called Giant of Africa that disgraces the continent and instead become a beacon of exemplary governance, beginning with credible elections,” Obi said.
He posited that the political class owes the younger generation a nation built on order, justice, and trust — not one mired in chaos and impunity.
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As the agitation continues, he urged the youth, who turned out in large numbers for the protest, to remain steadfast and not relent until the necessary reforms are achieved.
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On February 4, the senate rejected a proposal seeking to make real-time electronic transmission of results mandatory while considering the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2026.
The upper chamber, however, maintained the existing clause that allows electronic transfer of results under the 2022 law.
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The proposed amendment sought to compel real-time electronic transmission of results and link it directly to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) result viewing portal (IReV).
Under the current law, INEC is not legally required to transmit results electronically in real-time, with manual collation remaining the primary method.
10th Senate
Electronic transmission
peter obi
real-time transmission of results
