Edo PDP Condemns Senate on Result Transmission

The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has strongly condemned the recent decision by the Senate to make the real-time electronic transmission of election results optional. The opposition party described the move as a dangerous step backward for Nigeria’s democracy and a deliberate attempt to undermine electoral transparency and public confidence in the electoral process.

In a statement issued by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Dan Osa-Ogbegie, the PDP argued that this decision poses a significant threat to the integrity of future elections. The party contends that making electronic transmission optional allows for the manual manipulation of results at collation centers, thereby subverting the true will of the electorate.

The statement highlighted the severe consequences of flawed elections on the daily lives of Nigerians, citing collapsing public services, increased insecurity, and economic hardship as direct results of leadership imposed without true popular mandate. The PDP emphasized that for freedom of choice to be meaningful, all necessary facilities for transparent and verifiable elections must be legally entrenched.

The Edo PDP accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of consistently attempting to engineer legal escape routes that weaken electoral transparency since assuming power. The party contrasted this with the reforms pursued under previous PDP administrations, which they claim aimed to strengthen the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and build public trust in the ballot.

Calling for an immediate reversal of the Senate’s decision, the PDP urged Nigerians, civil society organizations, and the international community to rise in defense of democratic principles. The party concluded that stability and legitimacy in Nigeria can only be achieved through transparent elections, not through legislative maneuvers designed to constrict civic space.