Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has warned the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, against giving any excuses of technical glitches.
This is as the party called for strict implementation of the legal framework mandating the electronic transmission of election results.
It warned that it would resist any attempt to manipulate the process or undermine the will of Nigerians.
DAILY POST reports that Section 64 (4), (5) and (6) of the Electoral Act 2022, provide for recording and transmission of election results directly from the polling units using the Smart Card Reader, SCR, or any other electronic device determined by the electoral commission.
Recall that INEC said electronic transmission of the presidential election results in 2023 suffered glitches which made it unable to transmit the results in real time.
The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, at a press briefing on Monday, said the party was deeply concerned about what he described as ‘institutional manipulation’ of past elections.
Ologunagba insisted that the INEC must ensure that results are transmitted directly from polling units in real time.
“There must be no glitches in 2027. If POS machines work seamlessly across the remotest parts of this country, then INEC cannot claim that its BVAS machines suddenly fail on election day. That would be deliberate, institutional manipulation, and Nigerians will not accept it.
“This is no longer about politics; it is about the very survival of our democracy. INEC must rise to its constitutional duty and guarantee a process where every vote counts, and every vote is seen to count,” Ologunagba declared.
He added that the technology and infrastructure already exist to ensure seamless electronic transmission of results and accused INEC of failing to fully deploy them during previous elections.
