A former Director-General of the Labour Party (LP) Presidential Campaign Council, Mr Akin Osuntokun, says the Senate’s rejection of electronic transmission of election results does not portend well for the growth of Nigeria’s democracy.

Osuntokun, a former Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), who recently joined African Democratic Congress (ADC) made this remark in an interview with a correspondent of the agency on Friday in Lagos.

He was reacting to the Senate’s decision to exclude electronic transmission of results from the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2026 passed on Wednesday.

“It (Rejection of e-transmission of election results) does not portend good omen, it does not portend good for the growth of democracy in Nigeria.

“The growth of democracy is rooted in accountability and the integrity of elections.

“So anything that makes elections less accountable makes the election less credible. Automatically, it is a drag and an obstruction of the growth of democracy in Nigeria.

“It does not serve the purpose of democratic consolidation, so far as the elections that are conducted on that basis will not meet the bar or threshold of credible election,” Osuntokun said

He described the move as suspicious and logically linked to possible manipulation of elections.

Osuntokun added: “The logical interpretation of what they have done is that they want to look for avenues or contrive avenues where the elections can be manipulated.

“That is the logical interpretation of what they have done.”

Osuntokun said there was no convincing explanation or justification for rejecting electronic transmission.

He added: “What is the explanation? There is no tenable explanation for what they have done.

“Using the e-transmission makes the election or the counting of votes less susceptible to manual interference in the results that are declared.

“So, what we have been told is that any instrument, any intervention that will make the election less amenable to manipulation, they do not want it.”

Osuntokun, however, expressed doubt that the decision would discourage voter turnout in future elections.

He said voters were still likely to participate, but would become more vigilant.

Osuntokun said: “So, what people will do when they go to vote is to physically remain there.

“They will show as much as possible that the votes that are counted are credible and are votes that were duly cast.”

He warned that distrust about the electoral process could trigger tension at collation centres.

“If voters have this kind of mentality and have this distrust that the system is being deliberately manipulated, it will provoke anger, suspicion, indignation and invite physical interference of voters

“However, I do not think that it will affect turnout.

“It will just make them more indignant. It will foster a lot of indignation.

“It is possible that the voters react with indignation. Participation may be more aggressive to ensure that their vote counts,” he added.

NAN reports that the Senate had on Wednesday passed the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Re-enactment) Amendment Bill 2026 after the third reading.

The upper legislative chamber, however, rejected a proposed amendment to Clause 60, Subsection 3 of the bill, which sought to make the electronic transmission of election results mandatory.

Lawmakers opposed to the proposal, citing technical and logistical concerns around its implementation nationwide.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has condemned the killing of about 170 people in Kwara State, saying the attack demonstrates a serious failure of security under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said the massacre in Kaiama Local Government Area shows that government efforts to tackle insecurity are not working.

The ADC questioned what had become of the president’s declaration of a state of emergency on security announced in November 2025, as well as his promise to recruit thousands of police officers.

According to the party, the continued mass killings suggest that those measures were either ineffective or never fully implemented.

Part of the statement read: “The African Democratic Congress (ADC) condemns in the strongest possible terms the recent gruesome killing of about 170 innocent Nigerians in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State.

“This horrific massacre is one of the worst atrocities recorded in recent times and stands as a painful reminder of the complete.”

The party also raised concerns that the increased security activities witnessed last year may have been more about optics than a genuine attempt to protect Nigerians, particularly following comments by the President of the United States.

It said the pattern of attacks across the country indicates that violence is not being curtailed but merely displaced from one area to another.

The ADC warned that killings in places such as Kwara and mass abductions in Kaduna point to deeper deficiencies in intelligence gathering, border control, inter-agency cooperation, and emergency response.

It called on the Federal Government to be transparent with Nigerians about the true state of security, clarify the status of the promised police recruitment, and outline clear measures to prevent armed groups from moving freely across states.

The party said a government that cannot protect the lives of its citizens has failed in its most fundamental responsibility, adding that Nigerians deserve decisive action rather than condolences after each tragedy.

A Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has frowned at the court ruling that nullified the national convention of the party in Ibadan 2025.

Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Friday, George said the presiding judge acted and talked as if she was in beer parlour.

The elder statesman said he is absolutely disgusted by the judgement, which recognized the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike-backed faction.

Recall that a Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan nullified the PDP National Convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 15, 2025.

In the ruling, presiding judge, Justice Uche Agomoh, barred members of the Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee, NWC, from parading themselves as national officers of the PDP.

The judgment also recognized the Wike-led faction of the party.

Reacting on Friday, George said, “INEC monitored the National Convention of our party in Ibadan, as that is the party’s procedure. It is curious to know where and how the convention of the Wike faction was monitored, if at all.

“The judgement from Ibadan deviated from the matter before the judge; we’ll appeal this judgement.

“The judge veered out, started talking as if she was in a beer parlour. It’s unfortunate that this is the quality of people you have. I am absolutely disgusted. At this age, I have seen. It just reminded me. Where are the likes of Justice JIC Taylor in Lagos and so on?

“I have seen it before, and I’m happy that God has kept my life to this stage. Let us do what is just. People will come, people will go. What has happened is only a history that will remind you if you do well, and if you mess up and create mayhem. I hope they won’t run away because if heavens fall, nobody will escape.”