Nigeria not ready for free, fair, transparent elections – Atiku 

Atiku Abubakar, the former vice president, has has described the Senate’s rejection of real-time Electronic Transmission of Results, as a sign that  the country is not ready to deepen democracy and allow for free, fair and transparent elections.

The former Vice President of Nigeria and chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), states this in his reaction to the decision, which he condemned in the strongest terms.

“This ill-advised action represents a grave setback for electoral reform and a calculated blow against transparency, credibility, and public trust in Nigeria’s democratic process,” he said.

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Atiku regretted that this is coming at a time when democracies across the world are strengthening their electoral systems through technology.

“Nigerian Senate has chosen to cling to opacity, protect loopholes, and preserve a system that has historically enabled manipulation, tampering, and post-election disputes,” Atiku added.

“Real-time electronic transmission of results is not a partisan demand; it is a democratic safeguard. It reduces human interference, limits result manipulation, and ensures that the will of the voter—expressed at the polling unit—is faithfully reflected in the final outcome.”

He noted that to “reject it, and adopt the 2022 provision on so-called electronic transmission of results is to signal an unwillingness to submit elections to public scrutiny.

“This decision raises troubling questions about the commitment of the ruling political establishment to free, fair, and credible elections in 2027.

“Nigerians cannot ignore the pattern: every reform that strengthens transparency is resisted, while every ambiguity that benefits incumbency is preserved.”

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Atiku Abubakar who has consistently maintained that democracy must evolve with time, technology, and the legitimate expectations of the people, stated that ” elections must be decided by voters—not by manual delays, backroom alterations, or procedural excuses”

He therefore, calles on Nigerians, civil society organizations, the media, and the international community to take note of this regression and to continue demanding an electoral system that reflects modern democratic standards.

“Nigeria deserves elections that are transparent, verifiable, and beyond manipulation. Anything less is an injustice to the electorate and a betrayal of democracy.”