Sowore: Transparency Threatens Politicians

Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore has issued a scathing indictment of Nigeria’s political class, alleging that the vast majority of elected officials would fail to secure their positions in a genuinely transparent election. Speaking during a television appearance, the publisher argued that current electoral processes are designed to facilitate manipulation, thereby protecting incumbents from the will of the voters.

Sowore’s comments came amidst ongoing controversy surrounding amendments to the Electoral Act, specifically concerning the electronic transmission of results. While the Senate recently moved to permit electronic transmission, it retained a critical provision allowing manual collation in areas plagued by alleged network connectivity issues.

According to Sowore, this retention of manual collation is a deliberate loophole designed by lawmakers who fear losing their seats. He dismissed the official excuse of poor network coverage as a manufactured narrative, designed to shield politicians from true accountability at the ballot box.

The activist bluntly asserted that if the system were truly transparent, ninety percent of the current National Assembly members, along with many other elected officials, would not have made it to office. He argued that the fear of a truly free election is the driving force behind the resistance to technological reforms.

Comparing Nigeria to global counterparts, Sowore highlighted India’s successful implementation of electronic voting for its massive population. He contended that if India can securely manage electoral outcomes for hundreds of millions of voters, Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should be capable of doing the same for its population.

Sowore further dismissed the current Bimodal Voters’ Authentication System (BVAS) and Result Viewing Portal (IReV) as outdated technology that no longer meets the standard for modern, foolproof electoral systems. He argued that the Nigerian leadership is merely being “clever by half” by maintaining a system that allows for last-minute manipulation of results.