Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has rejected the mixed system of electronic and manual transmission of election results recently adopted in the amended Electoral Act, saying it falls short of expectations and risks confusion in Nigeria’s electoral process.
Atiku, speaking to journalists in Minna, Niger State, after a private meeting with former military president General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd.), described the hybrid approach as a potential threat to electoral transparency and credibility.
He argued that what Nigerians expected was a fully real-time electronic transmission system for election results — from polling units to the national collation centre — rather than a combination of electronic uploads and manual submission of result forms.
“The preference of Nigerians is clear. They want real-time electronic transmission of results,” Atiku said, urging opposition parties to unite and push back against the Senate’s decision to retain manual elements in the transmission process.
Atiku’s comments come amid ongoing controversy over the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, which the Senate has revised to allow electronic transmission while keeping manual backup procedures where technology fails. Critics, including civil society groups, had earlier protested changes that diluted compulsory electronic transmission.
On the prospect of competing in the 2027 presidential election, Atiku said that issue is not current. As a member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), he said the party is prioritising grassroots mobilisation and strengthening its organisational structure nationwide.
On the subject of zoning in party leadership, Atiku noted that the ADC’s constitution does not mandate regional zoning, in contrast to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which has zoning provisions in its governing documents.
