Bipartisan advisory committee expressed delight that all hope is lost on electronic transmission of election results
The Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC) on Sunday expressed deep concern at the confusion and contradictory statements coming out of the Senate regarding the 2022 Electoral Law Amendments, especially the electronic transmission of results, threatening a mass boycott if real-time electronic transmission is not adopted.
The union’s president, Joe Ajaello, said in a statement on Sunday that the lack of clarity was likely to “undermine public trust,” adding: “This is deeply problematic for our democracy.”
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While stressing that Nigerians are entitled to a transparent electoral process in which their votes are not only counted but deemed to be counted, the NLC called on the Senate to “provide an immediate, formal and clear explanation of the procedure and final decision.”
According to the NLC, “Public records suggest that the proposed amendment requiring real-time electronic transmission of results to INEC was not adopted and the existing optional provision was maintained.”
This caused national anxiety, but subsequent explanations only added to the confusion.
The NLC noted that such legislative ambiguity risks institutionalizing doubts at the heart of election integrity and echoes past controversies that have sparked national crisis.
The NLC also called on the Senate to provide clarity and transparency, adding: “The Senate must issue a final statement on the precise provisions passed and clarify the final language and rationale.”
“Parliamentary leadership must also ensure that the harmonization process produces a final bill with crystal clear provisions. Any ambiguity in the communication and collation of results is detrimental to our democracy.
“We call on the Senate to restore credibility to the legislation by ensuring transparency in the process and clarity in outcomes.
“The amended law must provide a clear obligation for INEC to electronically transmit and collate results from voting units in real time.
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“The path to the 2027 elections must be built on certainty, not chaos.”
The NLC said it was being closely watched by Nigerian workers and the public. NLC is committed to advocating for clarity and integrity within the network.
“We will not stand by as the trust of Nigerians is betrayed once again and the clarity of our electoral laws is undermined.
“Failure to add real-time electronic transmission will result in mass action before, during, and after the election, or even boycotting the election altogether.
“Our nation must choose a path of clarity and integrity. We must avoid the same confusion that followed the new tax law. Now is the time to enact legislation that is honest and focused on the people.”
