90% of Lawmakers Would Lose Seats If Elections Were Transparent – Sowore
Human rights activist and politician, Omoyele Sowore, has claimed that 90 per cent of Nigerian lawmakers and other elected officials would not retain their positions if elections in the country were conducted transparently.
Sowore made the statement while reacting to the controversy surrounding recent amendments to the Electoral Act, particularly provisions relating to the electronic transmission of election results.
On Tuesday, February 10, the Senate amended the Electoral Act to permit the electronic transmission of election results — a reform widely demanded by many Nigerians. However, lawmakers retained a clause allowing manual collation of results in areas where internet connectivity fails, a provision that has drawn criticism from several stakeholders.
Speaking on Channels Television on Wednesday, February 11, Sowore argued that many lawmakers are hesitant to fully embrace electoral reforms because transparent elections would threaten their political survival.
According to him, the justification that poor network coverage necessitates manual collation is merely an excuse.
“This excuse that there is no network in some states is just another balloon air on the part of these guys. They don’t want transparent elections because if elections are transparent, 90 per cent of them will not make it to the National Assembly and of course the presidency and other elected positions — they know that,” Sowore said.
The debate over electronic transmission and manual collation continues to generate reactions across the country, as stakeholders weigh concerns about transparency, logistics, and electoral integrity.
