Peter Obi condemns Senate’s rejection of mandatory electronic transmission of election results

Former Anambra State Governor and presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has strongly criticised the Nigerian Senate over its rejection of mandatory electronic transmission of election results, describing the decision as a serious threat to the country’s democracy.

In a statement shared on social media on Thursday, February 5, 2026, Obi said he delayed reacting to the issue due to the tragic loss of over 150 lives in Kwara State, calling on Nigerians to first pray for the victims.

“Let us all pause and pray for the souls of over 150 innocent lives lost in Kwara yesterday,” Obi said. “This tragedy is precisely why I delayed commenting on the outrageous and shameful news surrounding our electoral system.”

Obi described the Senate’s decision as “an unforgivable act of electoral manipulation ahead of 2027,” warning that it would deepen public distrust in Nigeria’s electoral process.

“The Senate’s blatant rejection of mandatory electronic transmission of election results is an unforgivable act of electoral manipulation ahead of 2027,” he stated.

According to Obi, the refusal to adopt electronic transmission undermines transparency and weakens the foundation of credible elections in Nigeria.

“This failure to pass a clear safeguard is nothing short of a deliberate assault on Nigeria’s democracy,” he said, stressing that “by rejecting these essential transparency measures, they are eroding the very foundation of credible elections.”

He questioned the true purpose of government, asking whether it exists to protect justice and order or to promote confusion for the benefit of a few individuals.

“One must ask: Does the government exist to ensure order and justice, or to institutionalise chaos? Is its purpose to serve the people, or to fulfil the sinister ambitions of a select few?” Obi asked.

The former governor linked the controversies that followed the 2023 general election to the failure to fully implement electronic transmission of results.

“The turmoil, disputes, and manipulations that plagued past elections, especially the 2023 general election, stemmed directly from the refusal to fully implement electronic transmission,” he said. “Nigerians were fed excuses of a fabricated ‘glitch’ that never existed.”

Obi also compared Nigeria unfavourably with other African countries that have embraced technology to strengthen democracy.

“While numerous African nations adopt electronic transmission to bolster democracy, Nigeria, the supposed giant of Africa, shamelessly lags behind, dragging the continent backwards,” he said.

He criticised political leaders and the elite for resisting reforms, saying they are part of the problem facing the country.

“We are wasting time hosting conferences and drafting papers on Nigeria’s problems while we, the leaders and elite, are the real issue,” Obi stated. “Our deliberate resistance to reform is pulling the country backwards, dragging us toward a primitive state of governance.”

Obi warned that rejecting electronic transmission would further entrench disorder and confusion in the electoral system.

“By rejecting mandatory electronic transmission—a critical safeguard for electoral integrity—we are entrenching disorder aimed at perpetuating confusion according to the whims of a small clique,” he said.

He urged leaders to think about the future of the country and the next generation.

“Have we not reached a point where we must think seriously about the future of our country and our children?” Obi asked. “Should leadership not focus on building a credible, orderly, and livable nation for the next generation, rather than one permanently ensnared in chaos?”

Obi also referenced past comments by foreign leaders about Nigeria’s image, saying recent actions continue to support those negative labels.

“When the former Prime Minister of the UK, aware of our history, labelled us ‘fantastically corrupt,’ we reacted defensively,” he said. “When President Donald Trump declared us a ‘now disgraced nation,’ we were incensed. Yet, with every act of resistance against transparency and reform, we continue to affirm their claims.”

He warned that Nigerians would not accept a repeat of the irregularities seen in previous elections.

“Let there be no illusion, the criminality witnessed in 2023 will not be tolerated in 2027,” Obi said. “Nigerians everywhere must start getting ready to rise up, resist, and reject the backward trajectory, legitimately and decisively reclaim our country from the clutches of deliberate malevolence.”

Obi also called on the international community to pay close attention to developments in Nigeria’s electoral process.

“The International community must take heed of this groundwork for continued future electoral manipulation, endangering our democracy and development,” he stated.

He concluded by urging Nigerians to remain hopeful but determined in their pursuit of change.

“A new Nigeria is POssible but we must all stand and fight for it.”