By Muhammad Mamman
A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Kenneth Okonkwo, has accused Nigeria’s Senate of deception and bad faith, following heated deliberations over the use of manual voting procedures by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, Okonkwo described proceedings in the upper chamber as “treachery” and “deceit”, alleging that lawmakers were attempting to legitimise what he termed electoral malpractice during the 2023 general elections.
“What I saw today in the Senate was treachery. It was deceit. It was 419,” Okonkwo said, using Nigeria’s popular slang for fraud.
He criticised senators for suggesting that manual accreditation and result transmission should be allowed whenever INEC’s electronic systems experience technical glitches, arguing that such provisions merely formalise loopholes already exploited in past elections.
“They were simply saying that when there is a technical glitch by INEC, then use manual — and that is exactly what happened in 2023,” he added.
Okonkwo’s remarks come amid ongoing debates in the National Assembly over proposed amendments to Nigeria’s electoral framework, including clauses that could permit manual processes where technology fails.
Opposition figures and civil society groups have warned that relaxing reliance on electronic systems could undermine transparency and roll back gains made in electoral reforms, while supporters of the proposal insist it provides a practical fallback in areas with poor connectivity.
The ADC chieftain urged lawmakers to prioritise credible elections over political convenience, warning that public trust in democracy would continue to erode if reforms are shaped to serve partisan interests.
“This country deserves a system that protects the people’s votes, not one that creates excuses to manipulate them,” he said.
