Fresh concerns have emerged over Nigeria’s electoral framework following the recent signing of amendments to the Electoral Act, as civil society organisation FixPolitics Initiative calls for immediate reconsideration of provisions it says weaken result transmission safeguards.
Speaking on Arise News, the Executive Director of FixPolitics Initiative, Anthony Ubani, argued that flaws in the revised law could erode public trust, particularly among young voters who participated actively in the last general election but questioned the credibility of the process.
Ubani outlined the organisation’s philosophy, describing FixPolitics as “a researchbased citizens organization.” He said its reform agenda rests on what he termed three foundational pillars designed to address governance failures.
“Our theory of change is what we call the triangular pillars of democracy,” he explained, adding that the first pillar centres on citizen engagement. According to him, democracy falters when citizens disengage from public affairs. The group, he said, advocates an informed and active electorate capable of demanding accountability.
The second pillar focuses on leadership development. Ubani stated that the organisation seeks to nurture “a new generation of values-based leaders” who possess “character, competence and capacity.” He emphasised that competence without integrity can damage institutions, while a deficit in both produces deeper governance crises.
The third pillar targets institutional reform. Ubani said the group promotes constitutional and electoral reforms that strengthen institutions rather than individuals. “In God we trust every other person bring your data,” he said, describing the organisation’s insistence on research-backed advocacy.
Turning to the amended Electoral Act, Ubani clarified that the group’s principal demand is for compulsory, real-time electronic transmission of results directly from polling units.
“Let me start by saying our demand is for real time electoral trans uh electronic transmission of results from the polling units that is made mandatory and nonnegotiable. Let me repeat that mandatory and non-negotiable,” he stated on Arise News.
He expressed concern that, based on publicly available information, the revised law introduces discretion that could undermine transparency. “Take note that nobody has seen that law. We just saw the president signing something. We haven't seen what he has signed,” he said.
Ubani explained that effective electronic transmission must meet two conditions. “It must be real time. It must be mandatory,” he stressed. He argued that any clause allowing a fallback to manual documentation in the event of network failure creates an opening for abuse.
“So even though you have electronic transmission on paper, they have already violated it with that clause,” he said, maintaining that reliance on Form EC8A as a primary alternative weakens the integrity of the system.
While some lawmakers have indicated reluctance to revisit the legislation, Ubani rejected the notion that the National Assembly cannot amend its own enactments. “This the Senate any Senate in the world that is functioning under a democracy cannot and I repeat cannot say they cannot go back,” he said, describing legislators as accountable to the electorate.
FixPolitics is advocating what it terms lawful and peaceful civic engagement to seek changes. “Yes, we want it rescinded,” Ubani declared. He added that the organisation would pursue dialogue, institutional advocacy and, if necessary, peaceful protest.
“We will use every legitimate and peaceful means to ensure that this law does not stand and it will not stand because citizens and civil society are determined to make the point that this law takes us back,” he said.
Beyond the immediate debate over transmission procedures, Ubani framed the controversy within a broader governance challenge. He argued that weak political culture undermines development across Africa and insisted that sustainable progress requires both institutional reform and leadership renewal.