A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, Sam Amadi, has called for an immediate amendment of the Electoral Act 2026.
Amadi urged lawmakers to remove the proviso permitting manual transmission of results where electronic upload is deemed impossible.
He spoke on Sunday during a Citizens’ Townhall hosted by Channels Television in Abuja.
Amadi also described the manual transmission clause as a major setback to transparency ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to him, “The provision effectively makes electronic transmission optional, weakening safeguards against manipulation”.
Amadi further argued that if President Bola Tinubu could restore the old national anthem within 24 hours, the Electoral Act could also be swiftly amended.
He insisted that lawmakers should build consensus and empower the Independent National Electoral Commission to regulate procedures during technical failures.
The former regulator warned that the clause could create confusion at polling units.
He said presiding officers might decline to upload results, citing poor communication or network challenges.
According to him, such discretion opens the door to abuse and undermines public confidence in the process.
Amadi maintained that communication challenges should not automatically justify abandoning electronic transmission.
Also speaking, Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, backed calls for legislative review.
Itodo urged the National Assembly to recommence amendment proceedings and delete the contentious proviso.
He argued that the core objective of earlier reforms was to minimise human interference through technology-driven transparency.
Retaining manual transmission, he said, contradicts that objective and risks eroding the gains made since the 2022 reforms.
Both speakers emphasised that credible elections depend on clear legal standards and limited discretion for field officials.
They called on lawmakers to act promptly to strengthen confidence in the electoral framework before preparations for 2027 intensify.
