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Nobody should be allowed to hold nation’s Democratic hostage, it warns
By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja
Nigeria stands once again at a defining moment in its democratic journey.
As the nation looks ahead to future elections, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has raised a strong and urgent voice in defense of transparency, accountability, and the collective will of the Nigerian people.
The SDP, in a press statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Araba Rufus Aiyenigba, on Friday, expressed deep concern over what it described as deliberate and unpatriotic resistance by the leadership of the 10th Senate to meaningful electoral reforms.
At the heart of this resistance, the party noted, is the refusal to provide a clear legislative mandate for the real-time electronic transmission of election results—an issue Nigerians have spoken about with one voice.
Across the country, citizens have made their position unmistakably clear.
During the extensive nationwide public hearings conducted by the Senate in the year 2025 on the Electoral Act (Repeal and Enactment) Bill 2026, Nigerians demanded reforms that would move the nation beyond the credibility challenges that marred the 2023 general elections. Their message was simple but powerful: Nigeria’s democracy must be strengthened through modern, transparent, and technology-driven electoral processes.
The SDP, in its statement thus emphasized that tools such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) are no longer optional innovations but essential safeguards. These systems, the party argued, significantly reduce human error and block avenues for manipulation that often occur during the manual movement of results by anti-democratic actors.
According to the party, it is increasingly evident that many patriotic senators, the Nigerian electorate, and even the nation’s electoral umpire—the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)—are aligned in their desire to move the country forward.
The SDP commended the new leadership of INEC for its positive disposition toward integrity-driven reforms anchored on transparency and credible elections.
The party, however, issued a stern warning that a small, self-serving cabal within the Senate leadership must not be allowed to hold Nigeria’s democracy hostage.
In clear terms, the SDP demanded that the new Electoral Act 2026 must contain an unambiguous legal command mandating the real-time electronic transmission of results by polling unit presiding officers.
Anything less, the party warned, would leave room for legal loopholes and future manipulation.
The SDP also reaffirmed its confidence in INEC, noting that the Commission has already demonstrated the infrastructure, technical capacity, and patriotic will to transmit election results electronically in real time—if only it is allowed to operate without political encumbrances.
Invoking the timeless truth that “eternal vigilance is the price of freedom,” the party called on citizens, civil society organizations and all democrats to rise in defense of Nigeria’s democracy.
It urged collective resistance against any attempt by a few mandate holders to promote personal interests over the national good.
Nigeria, the SDP concluded, cannot afford a repeat of the credibility crisis of the 2023 elections in 2027.
“The moment demands unity, courage, and action. All hands must be on deck to protect the ballot, safeguard democracy, and prevent the nation from sliding backward at a time when progress is both possible and necessary”, it declared.
