- The former governor argued that electronic transmission remains the most reliable way to protect the integrity of elections
- El-Rufai described the development as a setback for Nigeria’s electoral process
- He further alleged that resistance to electronic transmission is driven by political interests
Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has said he would have taken part in the ongoing protest demanding the restoration of electronic transmission of election results if he were currently in Nigeria.
El-Rufai made the remark during an interview on Trust TV, where he criticised the Senate’s position on the issue, claiming it could open the door to post-election manipulation, Eko Hot Blog reports.
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According to him, his absence from the country prevented him from joining Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and other political figures who staged a protest at the National Assembly.
“I would have been there with Mr Peter Obi and other leaders to demand that the National Assembly restore the real-time, compulsory transmission of results from polling units,” he said.
The former governor argued that electronic transmission remains the most reliable way to protect the integrity of elections, stressing that manipulation usually occurs after voting, not at the polling units themselves.
“Rigging does not happen at the polling unit. The real manipulation happens at collation centres. That is why electronic transmission is critical,” El-Rufai stated.
He expressed concern that although the House of Representatives has approved provisions for mandatory electronic transmission of results, the Senate appears unwilling to allow it to stand.
El-Rufai described the development as a setback for Nigeria’s electoral process, saying the reform would have significantly improved election credibility.
He further alleged that resistance to electronic transmission is driven by political interests, claiming that result manipulation after voting is the ruling party’s major advantage.
“The only way they have a fighting chance is by altering results after people have voted,” he said.
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