90% of lawmakers won’t return to NASS if elections are transparent – Sowore

Human rights activist and politician, Omoyele Sowore, says 90 per cent of Nigerian lawmakers and other elected officials would not be elected if elections in Nigeria were conducted transparently.

Sowore made the remark while reacting to the controversy trailing the amendments to the Electoral Act, particularly provisions relating to the electronic transmission of election results.

On Tuesday, February 10, the Senate amended the Electoral Act to permit the electronic transmission of election results, a move many Nigerians had clamoured for. However, the lawmakers retained a provision allowing manual collation of results in areas where internet connectivity fails — a clause many critics have described as unnecessary.

Speaking on Channels Television on Wednesday, February 11, Sowore argued that lawmakers are reluctant to enact reforms that would strengthen electoral transparency because they believe such changes would cost them their seats.

According to him, the argument that poor network coverage justifies manual collation is merely an excuse.

“This excuse that there is no network in some states is just another balloon air on the part of these guys. They don’t want transparent elections because if elections are transparent, 90 per cent of them will not make it to the National Assembly and of course the presidency and other elected positions, they know that” Sowore said