The Obidient Movement, a support group of Peter Obi, has accused the Nigerian Senate of deliberately laying the groundwork for electoral manipulation ahead of the 2027 general elections following its decision to reject a proposal seeking mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results.

In a statement on Friday, the national coordinator of the Movement, Yunusa Tanko, said the Senate, led by Godswill Akpabio, has assaulted the foundations of Nigeria’s democracy.

“This action, which retains a clause in the 2022 Electoral Act allowing for manual collation of results, is a deliberate and unforgivable act of electoral manipulation in preparation for the 2027 general elections.

“This decision by the National Assembly represents a direct assault on the foundations of Nigeria’s democracy,” the group said.

The group said the decision by the Senate to retain manual collation of results in the Electoral Act is a calculated move to weaken transparency, suppress voters’ will, and protect entrenched political interests.

Recall that the Senate, led by Mr Akpabio, on Wednesday passed the Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill, 2026, but refused to adopt an amendment that would have made electronic transmission of results from polling units compulsory.

The federal lawmakers instead retained the existing 2022 framework, which allows manual completion, signing, stamping, and physical transfer of results in a manner prescribed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), without mandating electronic uploads.

The statement added, “By refusing to mandate the electronic transmission of results from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Result Viewing Portal (IREV), the Senate has chosen to institutionalise chaos and opacity, thereby eroding public trust in the electoral process.”

It lamented that rejecting compulsory real-time transmission of polling unit results to INEC’s result viewing portal amounts to a direct assault on Nigeria’s democracy and a slap in the face of Nigerians who have long advocated transparency in the country’s electoral system.

Explaining that memories of the disputed 2023 general elections, which were marred by delayed uploads of results and allegations of manipulation, are still fresh, the Obidient Movement stressed that the same excuses about technical glitches were used to justify the failure to transmit results electronically.

“This action is a slap in the face of millions of Nigerians who have tirelessly advocated for greater transparency and accountability in our elections.

“We vividly recall the turmoil, disputes, and widespread manipulation that characterised the 2023 general elections — events that stemmed directly from the failure to fully implement electronic transmission of results.

“Nigerians were fed excuses of a fabricated “glitch” that never existed, while the will of the people was blatantly subverted. This latest move by the Senate only serves to entrench the same systems that enable electoral malpractice,” it added.

The group also accused the governing All Progressives Congress (APC), which controls the two chambers of the National Assembly, of hypocrisy, adding that the party relies on digital and electronic systems for its internal affairs while denying Nigerians similar transparency during national elections.

It further warned that the decision of the Senate risks eroding public trust in the electoral system and deepening political instability in the country.

The group, however, called on Nigerians, civil society organisations, and the international community to closely monitor developments around Nigeria’s electoral reforms.

“We, the Obidient Movement, will not stand idly by while the future of our nation is being mortgaged for the political gain of a privileged few. We call on all Nigerians, civil society organisations, and the international community to join us in resisting this dangerous backward slide.”

It added, “The criminality witnessed during the 2023 elections will not be tolerated in 2027. Nigerians everywhere must be prepared to rise up, resist, and reject this deliberate act of democratic sabotage, and to legitimately and decisively reclaim our country.

“We urge the international community to take note of the groundwork currently being laid for future electoral manipulation in Nigeria.

“Accordingly, we hereby call on all Nigerians to join us in a peaceful march to the National Assembly to press our demand:

“That both chambers convene an emergency sitting to revisit this critical issue and immediately pass into law the mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results to INEC’s IREV portal, in line with the clear will of the Nigerian people they represent.”

The Obidient Movement urged Nigerians to resist the decision of the Senate and come out en masse in the struggle to correct “this abnormality and change our nation for the better.”

Several political groups, including the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP), have faulted the Senate’s decision to reject a proposal seeking mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results, describing the move as “anti-democratic and a threat” to credible elections.