Atiku Slams Hybrid Transmission as Senate Backtracks on Electoral Bill

MINNA, Nigeria — Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has launched a scathing critique of the Senate’s latest amendments to the Electoral Act (Repeal and Enactment) Bill, 2026, warning that the decision to maintain a “hybrid” system of results transmission is a recipe for nationwide “confusion and chaos.”

​Speaking on Tuesday in Minna, Niger State, following a high-profile consultative visit to former military President Ibrahim Babangida, Atiku argued that nothing short of a mandatory, real-time electronic transmission system would satisfy the yearnings of Nigerians for transparent elections.

​The Flip-Flop in the Red Chamber

​Atiku’s comments come on the heels of a dramatic 24-hour reversal by the Senate. Initially, the lawmakers had stripped the bill of the requirement for real-time electronic uploads to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal, opting instead to leave the mode of transmission entirely to the discretion of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

​However, following a wave of public outrage and protests at the National Assembly, the Senate reviewed Clause 60(3) of the bill on Tuesday. The revised framework now designates electronic transmission as the primary mode of result uploads, but—crucially—retains manual submission via Form EC8A as a mandatory backup in cases of technical failure.

​”A Mixture for Chaos”

​Atiku, who recently defected from the PDP to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), told reporters that the compromise is fundamentally flawed.

​“Nigerians were expecting real-time electronic transfer. But what we got is a mixture of electronic and manual transmission, which is going to cause more confusion or chaos,” Atiku stated.

​The ADC chieftain emphasized that this struggle transcends his personal political ambitions. “At this point, this is not about me contesting elections. It is about Nigerians who want electronic transmission of election results.”

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​A Call for Opposition Unity

​The former Vice President, accompanied by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde during the visit, called on all opposition political parties to form a united front against the legislation in its current form. He insisted that the “single-tier” real-time electronic system remains the only credible benchmark for the 2027 general elections.

​“We shouldn’t allow it to rest where they wanted it to rest today. Absolutely not,” he added.

​Context: The 2026 Legislative Landscape

​The 2026 Electoral Bill has become the primary battleground for Nigerian democracy ahead of the next general election cycle. Civil society organizations (CSOs), including the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, have labeled the Senate’s initial attempts to weaken electronic transmission as “retrogressive.”

​While the Senate’s latest concession to make electronic transmission the “main mode” is seen by some as a partial victory for protesters, Atiku’s stance highlights a growing fear among the opposition: that any window for manual intervention—even as a backup—could be exploited to manipulate the final tallies.