By Nelson Ogbu
Former Senate President and National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Senator David Mark, has pushed back strongly against comments by Senate President Godswill Akpabio on the ongoing amendment of the Electoral Act, insisting that the ADC’s position is clear and non-negotiable.
The exchange occurred at the public presentation of The Burden of Legislators in Nigeria held at the NAF Conference Centre, Abuja, where Mark chaired the occasion.
During his address, Akpabio urged the ADC and other critics of the amendment process not to be in a hurry, stressing that the Senate was yet to conclude work on the Electoral Act amendment. He argued that calls for real-time electronic transmission of election results failed to take into account Nigeria’s infrastructural challenges, citing lack of electricity and internet access in many rural communities. According to him, allowing such a provision in the law could negatively affect electoral outcomes.
However, responding pointedly, Mark said the Senate President could not speak on behalf of the ADC, adding that the party’s demand—and that of many Nigerians—was straightforward.
Mark said there was no need for lengthy explanations or justifications, stressing that all the ADC was asking for was for the National Assembly to pass the amendment with provisions for real-time transmission of results, and allow the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to determine its feasibility.
“The National Assembly should pass the law and let INEC complain if there is a problem,” Mark said, noting that neither INEC nor Nigerians are currently complaining about real-time transmission, but rather demanding greater transparency and credibility in elections.
He argued that raising infrastructural excuses at the lawmaking stage only weakens public confidence in the reform process, insisting that electoral laws should be designed to protect the integrity of the vote, not to pre-emptively limit it.
Mark’s intervention drew attention to the widening gap between public expectations and legislative caution on electoral reforms, reinforcing ADC’s stance that Nigeria’s democracy can only be strengthened through transparent, technology-driven elections.
The event was attended by several dignitaries, including political leaders, lawmakers and policy experts, and featured a review of the book by Prof. Maxwell Gidado, SAN, with Premium Times as publisher.
