Member of the House of Representatives for Ogbaru Federal Constituency, Anambra State, Hon. Victor Ogené, raised serious concerns over the credibility of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, urging the government to prioritise real-time electronic transmission of results.
In an interview with Arise News on Wednesday, Ogené described the recent signing of the Electoral Act 2026 Amendment Bill by President Tinubu as a “fiat accompli” forced on Nigerians, lamenting that critical electoral reforms were diluted at the last minute.
“Congratulations to the President and APC for forcing a fiat accompli on the Nigerian people,” Ogené said.
“We knew that the 2027 elections were coming, and we waited until this last minute so that there would not be any agitation from civil society groups or the media.
“But now we have been forced to accept the fiat accompli. On this solemn day, as Nigerians on both sides of the religious divide begin their fast, that is a sad day for democracy, and we will remember it as such.”
The law, signed just weeks after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) unveiled the official election timetable, has sparked debate over electronic transmission of results. Ogené criticised the fallback clause allowing physical forms to replace electronic transmission, arguing it undermines transparency and public confidence.
“The essence of lawmaking is to cure known and unknown defects,” he said. “Coming from the 2023 elections, where glitches became a byword, I thought we would ensure real-time transmission of results for 2027. Instead, we now have a retrogression to the days of incident forms. That is not fair at all.”
Ogené challenged claims about technical limitations, citing a previous survey by the Nigerian Communications Commission and INEC that showed 93–97% network coverage in preparation for past elections.
“Already they are telling you that network coverage is a problem. But may I remind Nigerians, four years ago, coverage was over 90%. So why are we still talking about transmission now?” he asked.
He also questioned the authority of conference committees to amend critical sections of the law without proper oversight. “If you have a conference committee, they are not empowered to change anything,” he said.
“Yet we saw clause 84 altered on the floor of the House. The procedure for the nomination of candidates by political parties for various elective positions was changed without authority. Nigerians deserve transparency and clarity, not last-minute manipulations.”
Despite the challenges, Ogené urged citizens to remain engaged and use their votes to hold the system accountable. “Elections are about confidence and integrity. Already the feeling out there is that even before 2027, the elections have been compromised.
“But the struggle for democracy is not a sprint; it is a marathon. Nigerians need to vote to right the wrongs and continue to hold leaders accountable within the law,” he said.
Boluwatife Enome
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