By Muhammad Mamman
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has issued a stark warning over Nigeria’s newly amended electoral framework, saying the hybrid system of manual and electronic transmission of results risks confusion and could undermine public confidence in the democratic process. 
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday in Minna shortly after a visit with former military ruler General Ibrahim Babangida, Atiku criticised the Senate’s decision to adopt a blended model of real-time electronic transmission alongside manual collation and submission of results. 
“Nigerians were expecting real-time electronic transfer to the various levels of the elections,” he said, adding that the revised approach “could jeopardise our electoral transmission system” and sow unnecessary confusion in the collation of votes. 
Atiku, who left the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC), argued that a single-tier, fully electronic results transmission would better safeguard the integrity of elections ahead of the 2027 general polls. 
In addition to his technical concerns, the former vice president urged opposition parties to close ranks and present a united front in advocating for electoral reforms. He said collective pressure was necessary to push back against what he described as flawed provisions in the Electoral Act and to ensure that Nigeria’s democratic process is credible and transparent. 
The Senate has recently constituted a 12-member Electoral Act Conference Committee to reconcile differences in amendments passed by both chambers of the National Assembly. The committee is tasked with harmonising divergent clauses before a final bill is presented for approval. 
Atiku also sought to quash speculation about his own political ambitions for 2027, saying his focus remains on reinforcing the ADC’s grassroots structures nationwide rather than immediate electoral contests. 
