Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has said that up to 90 per cent of members of the National Assembly would not return to office if Nigeria conducted truly transparent elections.
Sowore made the assertion while responding to ongoing debates surrounding amendments to the Electoral Act, particularly the provisions dealing with electronic transmission and manual collation of results.
According to him, numerous officials are uncomfortable with stronger electoral safeguards because credible elections would uncover their actual popularity among voters.
He argued that the justification that some parts of the country lack internet coverage is weak, insisting that technology should not be selectively applied in a country where digital banking, online transactions, and telecommunications operate nationwide.
“The truth is that if elections are transparent, most of them will not come back,” Sowore said, maintaining that resistance to full electronic transmission reflects political self-preservation rather than logistical challenges.
The Senate recently endorsed electronic transmission of results but retained a clause allowing manual collation in zones without organized coverage, a move that has generated criticism from civil society organisations and electoral reform advocates.
Sowore warned that keeping manual collation weakens the integrity of electronic transmission and leaves room for manipulation. He called for deeper technological reforms within the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to strengthen credibility ahead of future elections.
The debate comes amid growing public demand for electoral reforms before the 2027 general elections, with many Nigerians insisting that transparency remains central to restoring trust in the democratic process.