Prof. Benjamin Okaba, Global President of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), has criticized the Senate, saying its stance on electronic transmission of election results represents a rejection of accountability rather than technology.
Okaba made this assertion in an interview in Abuja on Friday, emphasizing that the Senate’s decision undermines efforts to ensure credible elections.
“They have dismissed the simple, powerful principle that the vote cast by citizens should be the same vote that is counted and recorded,” he said.
According to him, the question before the Senate was not about technicalities like servers, 4G networks, or the cost of BVAS machines, but about upholding transparency in the electoral process.
“This is a fundamental issue: do we, as a nation, have the political will to permanently end the practices of electoral fraud that have plagued our democracy for decades? Their answer was a resounding no,” he said.
Okaba explained that the Senate’s rejection preserves outdated, opaque methods instead of enforcing transparency, describing it as a retreat from electoral integrity, especially ahead of an election year.
He expressed disappointment rather than surprise, noting that the Senate had the choice between reinforcing democratic foundations or maintaining old political structures — and they chose the latter.
“It is now our responsibility to protect what they refused to legislate,” he said, stressing that electronic transmission should have been mandatory, not optional.
He explained that immediate upload of polling unit results to the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV) would create an immutable digital record, safeguarding the will of the people and dismantling corrupt practices in result collation at higher levels.
“But the Senate has left the system discretionary and legally weak, giving INEC the choice rather than enforcing a firm legal mandate,” he said.
Okaba further described the decision as a calculated setback, calling it a historic missed opportunity that weakens all mechanisms for credible elections.
“The Senate’s choice undermines public trust, slows down results management, and exposes the process to manipulation. Opposition parties have rightly called it a retrogressive step that favors incumbents and entrenched interests,” he said.
He also criticized Senate President Godswill Akpabio’s claim that the Senate did not reject e-transmission, describing it as a legalistic deflection that leaves the system vulnerable.
Okaba warned that the ruling exposes the path toward the 2027 elections, which will be conducted under fragile legal provisions, and risks fueling voter apathy.
“Without strong legal backing, electoral integrity will rest entirely on the personal resolve of INEC officials and the vigilance of party agents and observers,” he said.