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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has issued a strong condemnation of the Nigerian Senate’s recent rejection of a real-time electronic transmission of election results, labeling the move a “calculated blow against transparency, credibility, and public trust.”

In a strongly-worded statement released today, Alhaji Atiku described the decision as a “grave setback for electoral reform” and a sign that the ruling establishment is unwilling to subject elections to public scrutiny.

“The decision of the Nigerian Senate to reject the real-time electronic transmission of election results is a deliberate assault on electoral transparency,” Abubakar declared. “At a time when democracies across the world are strengthening their electoral systems through technology, the Nigerian Senate has chosen to cling to opacity.”

The former presidential candidate argued that real-time electronic transmission is a non-partisan democratic essential. “It reduces human interference, limits result manipulation, and ensures that the will of the voter… is faithfully reflected,” he stated. He criticized the Senate for reverting to a “face-saving provision” from the 2022 Electoral Act, which critics say allows for delays and potential interference.

Atiku framed the Senate’s action as part of a troubling pattern. “Every reform that strengthens transparency is resisted, while every ambiguity that benefits incumbency is preserved,” he asserted. This, he warned, raises “troubling questions about the commitment of the ruling political establishment to free, fair, and credible elections in 2027.”

He emphasized that elections must be decided by voters, “not by manual delays, backroom alterations, [or] procedural excuses.”

Concluding with a rallying cry, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar called on “Nigerians, civil society organizations, the media, and the international community to take note of this regression” and to demand a modern electoral system.

“Nigeria deserves elections that are transparent, verifiable, and beyond manipulation,” he said. “Anything less is an injustice to the electorate and a betrayal of democracy.”

The statement signals heightened political tensions as the nation begins its long-cycle preparations for the next general election, with opposition figures positioning electoral integrity as a central battle line.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has convened its first regular consultative meeting of the year with registered political parties, marking the start of formal preparations for the 2027 general elections.

The meeting, held at INEC headquarters in Abuja, has drawn leadership from major parties but is being overshadowed by a conspicuous intra-party division. A faction of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by former Minister of Special Duties Tanimu Turaki, is notably absent.

In contrast, the PDP’s rival faction, led by National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu and its factional National Chairman, Abdul Rahman Mohammed, is in attendance.

The session features broad participation from other key political organizations. The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is represented by its National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, and the party’s National Secretary. The Labour Party delegation includes its National Chairman, Nenadi Usman, and National Secretary Senator Darlington Nwokocha.

The consultative forum is a critical mechanism for INEC to align with political stakeholders on electoral timelines, frameworks, and potential reforms ahead of the next national polls.

Abubakar Isah Dandago, a veteran journalist, has resigned as the pioneer General Manager of Hikima Private FM in Kano.

Abubakar Isah Dandago is a veteran journalist based in Kano who worked with various radio stations and currently is a reporter with Radio France International.

He wished the station well and his colleagues with whom he worked during his stay as General Manager.