 has launched a blistering attack on Senate President Godswill Akpabio,){kind=link}
A senior figure in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has launched a blistering attack on Senate President Godswill Akpabio, accusing him of working against Nigeria’s democratic progress.
Speaking during a televised political programme on Sunday, the ADC chieftain, Kenneth Okonkwo, faulted the Senate’s recent decision to block mandatory electronic transmission of election results, describing it as a dangerous setback for credible elections.
According to him, the refusal to fully embrace technology in electoral processes contradicts both global best practices and judicial guidance from Nigeria’s highest court.
“The world has moved on, and elections cannot be run with outdated methods,” Okonkwo said during the interview.
“When institutions deliberately resist transparency tools, they send a message that manipulation is preferable to accountability.”
His comments followed the Senate’s rejection, last week, of an amendment to the Electoral Act that sought to compel real-time electronic transmission of results from polling units.
The proposal was defeated during deliberations on the electoral reform bill.
Moreover, Okonkwo argued that the legislature’s stance ignored clear warnings from the judiciary.
He referenced past Supreme Court pronouncements that encouraged the use of technology to curb rigging and improve public trust in elections.
“The apex court has already made it clear that technology strengthens democracy,” he said.
“Any attempt to frustrate that process only deepens suspicion and fuels electoral malpractice.”
Consequently, the lawyer-turned-politician accused the Senate leadership of entrenching practices that enable fraud and falsification.
He insisted that such actions place the National Assembly on a collision course with democratic ideals.
Okonkwo went further to directly challenge Akpabio’s moral authority to lead the Senate under such circumstances.
“If the leadership cannot align itself with transparency and reform, then honour demands stepping aside,” he stated.
Hence, he called for Akpabio’s resignation or removal, warning that continued resistance to electoral reforms could further erode public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
The Senate leadership has yet to issue an official response to the allegations, as debate over electoral reforms continues to generate sharp divisions across the political landscape.