Electoral Act Amendment: Why Kenneth Okonkwo is Urging the Senate to Mandate Electronic Result Transmission

 

​The Nigerian political landscape is currently witnessing a heated debate over the future of the country’s democratic integrity. At the center of this storm is Kenneth Okonkwo, a prominent chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and a well-known legal practitioner, who has issued a stern call to the Nigerian Senate. Okonkwo’s message is clear: the credibility of Nigerian elections hinges entirely on the mandatory electronic transmission of results directly from polling units.

​In a recent appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Okonkwo argued that any election where results are not transmitted electronically should be cancelled outright. This bold stance comes at a time when the National Assembly is deliberating crucial amendments to the Electoral Act, a move that could either solidify or undermine the trust Nigerians have in the ballot box.

​The Argument for Mandatory Electronic Transmission

​Kenneth Okonkwo’s advocacy is rooted in a desire to eliminate the "human element" that has historically plagued Nigerian elections with manipulation and fraud. According to the actor-turned-politician, the manual handling of results between the polling unit and the collation center is the primary window for electoral malpractice.

​“Once they put that law that you must transmit from the polling unit, I am okay. So any polling officer would not leave the polling unit without ensuring the data is sent,” Okonkwo stated. He emphasized that the primary goal of any election is the production of a credible result. If the process—from accreditation to voting—ends in a fraudulent result due to a lack of transparency, then the entire exercise is a failure that only serves to embolden criminals.

​Why Cancellation is a Necessary Deterrent

​One of the most controversial aspects of Okonkwo’s proposal is the call for the annulment of elections where electronic transmission fails. While critics might argue that this could disenfranchise voters in areas with poor infrastructure, Okonkwo maintains that the stakes are too high to allow for "discretionary" manual transmission.

​He urged the House of Representatives and the Senate to go a step further: if it is not possible to transmit from a specific unit, that election should be deemed invalid. The logic here is simple—without a verifiable electronic trail, the integrity of the vote cannot be guaranteed. By making cancellation the consequence of failed transmission, the law would force the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that technical failures are a thing of the past.

​The Senate’s Current Stance and Public Backlash

​The debate has been intensified by the Senate’s recent actions. Initially, lawmakers rejected a proposal for "real-time" electronic transmission under Clause 60(3), opting instead to retain provisions from the 2022 Act that give INEC the discretion to decide how results are moved.

​This decision sparked immediate outrage across the country. Opposition figures and civil society organizations, including activists like Aisha Yesufu, have labeled the move as "treachery." Protests have even broken out at the National Assembly, with citizens demanding a more transparent system that removes the possibility of "magic results" appearing at collation centers.

​In response to this significant backlash, the Senate held an emergency plenary session on Tuesday to review its position. While they have now approved the concept of electronic transmission, they notably removed the "real-time" requirement and ruled that in cases of poor connectivity, the physical Form EC8A would serve as the primary document. For advocates like Okonkwo, these "loopholes" remain a major concern.

​The Path to Becoming a Superpower

​For Kenneth Okonkwo, this is not just about politics; it is about the long-term survival of Nigeria as a nation. He drew a direct parallel between Nigeria’s development and the sanctity of the vote.

​“The only problem we have in this country is fraudulent elections,” he argued. “On the day we have free and fair elections in Nigeria, 20 years after that, we would become a superpower nation. America is sustained today because power lies with the people.”

​He stressed that democracy belongs to the Nigerian people, not to any political party, whether it be the APC, PDP, or ADC. Ensuring that every vote counts through technology is, in his view, the only way to hold leaders accountable and drive national progress.

​What Happens Next?

​The National Assembly has now set up a committee to reconcile the Senate’s version of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill with that of the House of Representatives. This reconciliation process will be the final battleground for the inclusion of stricter electronic transmission mandates.

​As the 2027 general elections draw closer, the pressure on the legislature to deliver a law that ensures transparency is mounting. Kenneth Okonkwo’s call for the cancellation of non-electronically transmitted results serves as a rallying cry for those who believe that Nigeria’s path to greatness begins at the polling unit.