The #FixPolitics initiative has condemned the Nigerian Senate’s handling of the Electoral Act amendment, describing it as “a direct assault on electoral integrity and public trust” following reports that the bill on electronic transmission of election results was rejected.
In a statement released over the weekend, Anthony Ubani, Executive Director of #FixPolitics Africa, demanded the immediate restoration of mandatory electronic transmission of results as a non-negotiable requirement for credible elections.
“Nigerians are angry, and they have every right to be. What played out in the Senate over the Electoral Act amendment is neither a misunderstanding nor a technical error, but a direct assault on electoral integrity and public trust,” Ubani stated.
The organization expressed outrage over what it described as confusion and contradiction when senators openly alleged that the version of the bill announced as “passed” differed from what they actually voted for.
“This is grave, dangerous and unacceptable in any democracy that takes itself seriously,” Ubani declared. “A bill touching the very foundation of our democracy was passed under a cloud of dispute.”
The #FixPolitics executive director, a thought leader with over 25 years of leadership experience across Africa, drew parallels with recent allegations that a tax law passed by the National Assembly was altered after passage.
“When laws can be altered after voting, the rule of law collapses. When lawmakers themselves dispute the content of laws, citizens lose faith,” Ubani argued. “There is no rule of law without trust, and there is no trust without integrity in lawmaking.”
The organization criticized the Senate’s refusal to make electronic transmission of results mandatory despite years of citizen advocacy and lessons from recent elections.
“Nigerians did not ask for loopholes; they asked for certainty. They did not ask for discretion; they asked for safeguards. Instead, they got ambiguity by design,” the statement read.
Ubani questioned why Nigeria spends billions annually to maintain 109 senators who appear unable to pass clear legislation on consequential democratic matters.
“This is not just incompetence; it is deliberate mischief and an abuse of public trust,” he stated. “Nigerians are watching a legislature that seems more invested in protecting political advantage than protecting the vote.”
#FixPolitics issued three demands: immediate public clarification of the exact provisions passed; a transparent legislative review to resolve all discrepancies; and public accountability from Senate leadership for the contradictions.
The organization reminded lawmakers that whenever Nigeria’s democratic experiments have been cut short, the legislature is the first institution shut down.
“It is an act of enlightened self-interest for the National Assembly to protect electoral integrity and preserve democracy. Those who benefit most from democracy should be the first to defend it,” Ubani emphasized.
The statement concluded: “The Senate must choose either to stand with the people or stand exposed before history. Nigeria deserves laws that protect the vote, not weaken it. Anything less is a brazen betrayal of public trust.”
