By Kenneth Gbandi
The answer to this question is as obvious as it is unsettling. Too many of those currently occupying Nigeria’s legislative chambers know deep down that they would not survive a truly free, fair, and transparent election. Electoral manipulation has become their political life support, and any reform that threatens it is therefore treated as an existential danger.
The Nigerian Senate’s recent refusal to pass Real-Time Electronic Transmission of Election Results into law, coming on the heels of its earlier rejection of Diaspora Voting Rights, is not an isolated legislative misjudgment. It is part of a consistent and deliberate pattern aimed at retaining control over electoral outcomes rather than respecting the will of the people. Taken together, these decisions amount to a calculated rollback of democratic progress and a dangerous decapitation of the modest but significant gains recorded in the 2022 Electoral Act rather than enhancing it.
Nigerian lawmakers clearly understand the transformative power of two key reforms: Diaspora voting and electronic voting with real-time result transmission. Both reforms expand participation, close long-standing manipulation gaps, and decisively shift power from political backrooms to ordinary citizens. That, precisely, is why they are resisted.
Ironically, the same ruling APC political establishment that now appears uncomfortable with electronic voting has already laid much of the technical groundwork for it. Through its nationwide party registration exercise, the APC integrated the mandatory use of NIN and other biometric data, demonstrating a clear acknowledgment of the feasibility of a secure, technology-driven system. Yet, while its leaders and sponsored critics are quick to amplify potential challenges, they remain curiously silent on the overwhelming benefits transparency, speed, accountability, and inclusion which they already exploit within their own internal processes.
By rejecting real-time transmission of results and excluding millions of Nigerians in the diaspora, the APC-led National Assembly is effectively disenfranchising a significant segment of the electorate, both at home and abroad. The objective is unmistakable: to manufacture voter apathy, weaken public confidence in the value of the vote, and preserve a system where elections can still be manipulated with minimal consequences.
Nigeria’s recent electoral history further exposes how narrow the margins of manipulations truly are. In the 2023 presidential election, official results showed 8,794,726 votes for Bola Tinubu, 6,984,520 for Atiku Abubakar, 6,101,533 for Peter Obi, and 1,496,687 for Rabiu Kwankwaso. These figures reveal a highly segmented electorate and margins so slim that any future attempt to override the popular will would require manipulation on a massive scale well into two to five million votes. Such an act would be politically suicidal and would threaten the very survival of the Nigerian state as we know it.
This is why Nigerians must remain vigilant. We must firmly reject the dangerous narrative that “votes do not count” or that participation is futile. That narrative is not accidental; it is a carefully deployed weapon designed to suppress turnout and legitimize electoral theft.
I am convinced that the Nigeria of our dreams is still possible. Electoral reform remains non-negotiable. Electronic voting, real-time transmission of results, and diaspora voting rights must remain at the center of our democratic struggle. Yet, even as we push relentlessly for these reforms, we must also recognize a powerful truth: within the current imperfect system, strategic mobilisation, unity, and massive voter participation can still defeat entrenched interests.
The road to 2027 must therefore be paved with vigilance, civic courage, and relentless organisation. Nigeria does not suffer from a lack of ideas or capable citizens; it suffers from a political class afraid of the people’s verdict. History has shown that no elite can permanently suppress the will of a determined majority.
The choice before us is clear: surrender to apathy, or rise peacefully, constitutionally, and collectively to reclaim our democracy. The future of Nigeria depends on it.
Hon. Kenneth Gbandi: Diaspora Political Leader / Advocate for Electoral Reform & Democratic Inclusion
