(DDM) – The Presidency has moved to calm rising national tension over the controversial Electoral Act Amendment Bill, insisting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will ultimately take a decision that aligns with Nigeria’s democratic realities rather than public pressure.
DDM reports that the assurance came amid nationwide debates and protests triggered by recent amendments passed by the National Assembly on electronic transmission of election results.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, spoke during a televised interview where he defended the administration’s cautious stance on the matter.
Dare stated that while President Tinubu remains committed to democratic ideals, he will not approve any electoral framework that ignores Nigeria’s infrastructural and technological limitations.
The controversy followed the Senate’s passage of a revised Electoral Act Amendment Bill that permits electronic transmission of results from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing Portal, known as IReV.
However, the same bill allows manual transmission of results whenever network failure or communication challenges occur, a clause critics describe as a dangerous loophole.
Civil society groups, opposition figures, and election observers have staged protests, insisting that real-time electronic transmission without exceptions remains the only credible safeguard against manipulation.
Dare pushed back against those demands, arguing that governance requires practicality rather than emotional responses driven by public agitation.
He described Tinubu as a seasoned democrat who understands the balance between ideal reforms and operational feasibility.
According to him, the president will weigh national realities, especially the uneven spread of digital infrastructure across rural and urban Nigeria.
Dare openly questioned whether Nigeria currently possesses the capacity to sustain a fully electronic electoral process nationwide.
He argued that even advanced democracies still experience technical failures during elections, making absolute real-time transmission unrealistic.
“There is no country with a one hundred per cent flawless electronic election system,” Dare said, challenging critics to acknowledge global precedents.
He warned that forcing a rigid framework without allowances could create logistical chaos during elections.
Supporters of the Senate amendment argue that Nigeria’s weak network coverage, unstable electricity supply, and security challenges justify flexibility in result transmission.
Opponents counter that such flexibility has historically enabled electoral fraud, result substitution, and post-election disputes.
Election transparency advocates insist that allowing manual results to override electronic records undermines public trust in the electoral process.
The debate has also revived memories of past elections where delayed or altered results triggered violence and prolonged litigation.
Political analysts say the Tinubu administration now faces a defining test of its commitment to electoral reform and democratic credibility.
They argue that how the president handles the bill will shape public confidence ahead of the 2027 general elections.
While the Presidency calls for patience, critics accuse the government of using “realities” as an excuse to protect entrenched political interests.
They warn that failure to strengthen electronic transmission could deepen voter apathy and fuel civil resistance.
As pressure mounts, all eyes remain on President Tinubu’s final decision, which many believe will either strengthen democracy or reinforce old suspicions.
