E-Transmission Of Election Results: Akpabio Has Set Nigeria On Fire, Says Adebayo

Former presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adewole Adebayo, has accused the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, of setting the country on fire amid the controversy surrounding the electronic transmission of election results.

THE WHISTLER reports that there has been outrage after the Senate last week passed the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Reenactment) Amendment Bill 2026 through the third reading.

In passing the bill, the upper chamber did not approve the proposed amendment to Clause 60, Subsection 3, of the bill, which sought to make the electronic transmission of election results mandatory.

But Adebayo, a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, said, “The Senate President, receiving text messages from saboteurs, decided to set the country on fire over a minimum requirement that the elections should be seen by the public to be transparent.”

Adebayo also raised other concerns like campaign finance, excessive spending, and buying of votes, among others, that he urged the lawmakers to address.

He asked the senators to remedy the situation by being true representatives of the people by approving a mandatory electronic transmission of election results.

“The way to salvage the situation is for Godswill Akpabio to remember his humble beginnings, to know that he is a nobody in Nigeria.

“He (Akpabio) is only a somebody today because of the will of the people of Akwa Ibom who made him governor and also sent him to the National Assembly.

“He is not here to come and lecture us. He is not wiser than the next person. Where he is supposed to show leadership, he wants to make himself a mercenary to undermine democracy. The solution is for him to go back and repent,” the SDP chieftain added.

The Senate is set to hold an emergency plenary session on Tuesday.

In a notice sent by the Clerk of the Senate, Emmanuel Odo, the lawmakers were directed to convene at the National Assembly complex at noon on the instruction of Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

The emergency sitting comes amid growing pressure on the upper legislative chamber to revisit clause 60(3) of the electoral amendment bill, which relates to the electronic transmission of election results.