Electronic Transmission of Election Results: Ezekwesili warns Senate to stop playing with fire
By: Abudu Olalekan
Here’s the truth. The Nigerian Senate doesn’t care about your vote.
They don’t care about transparency. They don’t care about fairness. And they definitely don’t care about fixing a broken system that keeps rigging elections in their favor.
That’s the message from Oby Ezekwesili, former Education Minister and World Bank VP, in a scathing memo that dropped like a bomb on social media. Titled “Know When to Stop Playing With Fire,” it’s not just criticism—it’s a warning.
And the Senate? They’re holding the match.
The Loophole That Lets Them Steal Elections
Let’s break it down.
The Senate just voted against making electronic transmission of election results mandatory. Not outright, of course—that would look too obvious. Instead, they kept the same old vague language that’s been used to manipulate elections for years.
Section 60(5) of the Electoral Act. Remember that? It’s the clause that says INEC can transmit results “in a manner as prescribed by the Commission.”
Sounds harmless, right?
Wrong.
That little phrase is the difference between real-time results and whatever the hell INEC feels like doing. It’s the difference between your vote counting and your vote disappearing into some backroom deal.
Ezekwesili didn’t hold back: “The Senate has weaponized ambiguity in our electoral law.”
And she’s right.
2023 All Over Again? God Help Us.
Think back to last year’s elections.
Remember the promises? “Real-time results. No more rigging. Your vote will count.”
Then came the reality.
Results trickled in at a snail’s pace. Polling units “lost” votes. Court rulings left everyone confused. And by the time it was over, Nigerians were left with one question:
Did my vote even matter?
Ezekwesili called it like it was: “When it failed, Nigerians were told to accept ‘procedural explanations’ instead of verifiable outcomes.”
And now? The Senate wants to do it again.
The Senate’s Dirty Little Secret
Here’s the kicker.
The Senate claims they didn’t reject electronic transmission. That’s a lie.
What they actually did was worse. They kept the loophole. The same one that let INEC manipulate results. The same one that gave courts an excuse to uphold questionable victories.
Ezekwesili didn’t buy it: “The brazen actions of the Senators were neither an innocent choice nor some sort of technical oversight. It was a calculated decision.”
And she’s not alone.
Nigerians are exhausted. Tired of corruption. Tired of bad governance. Tired of a political class that treats democracy like a game of chess—where the people are just pawns.
The Senate’s Greatest Hits (Of Betrayal)
Ezekwesili didn’t stop at the election law. She went for the jugular.
“Nigerians mostly see the Senate as an ignoble and withering institution that delights in deliberate betrayal of public trust.”
Ouch.
But is she wrong?
Let’s recap the Senate’s greatest hits:
> Blocking anti-corruption reforms (because why would they want to stop stealing?)
> Approving inflated budgets (while hospitals crumble and schools close)
> Confirming unfit nominees (in exchange for political favors)
> Watering down electoral reforms (to keep rigging elections)
And now? They’re doubling down on a system that lets them cheat.
The Warning: “This Could Break Nigeria”
Ezekwesili didn’t just criticize. She warned.
“That gap nearly pushed the country into turmoil.”
She’s talking about 2023. The protests. The anger. The feeling that Nigeria’s democracy is a fraud.
And if the Senate keeps playing these games? It’s going to happen again.
Maybe worse.
What Happens Now?
The Senate has a choice.
They can listen to Nigerians. They can close the loophole. They can make electronic transmission mandatory—no excuses, no delays, no backroom deals.
Or they can keep playing with fire.
Ezekwesili’s message was clear: “Nigeria’s democracy cannot survive on vague laws, discretionary loopholes, and cosmetic reforms.”
The question is—will the Senate listen?
Or will they keep burning the house down?
