Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Former Minister of Education and Co-Convener of the #BringBackOurGirls Movement, Mrs Oby Ezekwesili, has lambasted the Nigerian Senate over its handling of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2026, warning that the lawmakers are “playing with fire” and risking the stability of Nigeria’s democracy.
Ezekwesili made the remarks on Friday during an interview on The Morning Show on Arise Television, where she expressed deep disappointment over the Senate’s reported rejection of a provision seeking to make real-time electronic transmission of election results mandatory.
Recall that the Senate, while passing the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, rejected the clause on compulsory electronic transmission of results, even as it approved amendments relating to election timelines, penalties for electoral offences, and the deployment of voting technology.
Reacting, Ezekwesili accused the political class—particularly the Senate—of persistently taking decisions that alienate Nigerians and erode public trust in democratic institutions.
“Stop playing with fire. It is almost as if the political class, especially as exemplified by the Senate, wakes up every morning asking, ‘What shall we do today to upset Nigerians?’” she said.
She maintained that public outrage over the lawmakers’ actions is justified, describing the decision as another example of poor judgment and democratic insensitivity.
“Anyone who believes that citizens should not be extremely annoyed by the excesses and the sheer lack of wisdom displayed by our senators needs to re-examine where they are getting their understanding of democracy from,” the former minister stated.
While cautioning against violence, Ezekwesili stressed that Nigerians must continue to exercise their civic rights and remain vigilant in safeguarding democracy.
“Nobody is calling for violence. However, citizens must understand that they are acting within their rights when they remain vigilant. As Thomas Jefferson once said, eternal vigilance is the price citizens pay for freedom and liberty,” she noted.
Ezekwesili further warned lawmakers against running the country as a personal preserve, insisting that sovereignty resides with the people, not the political elite.
“These senators cannot run Nigeria as if it were their fiefdom. Nigerian democracy belongs to the people; it does not belong to politicians,” she added.
The Senate’s passage of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill has continued to generate intense public debate, particularly over the rejection of mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results.
Several civil society organisations and political analysts argue that electronic transmission remains critical to enhancing transparency, curbing electoral manipulation, and restoring public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process, especially in the aftermath of controversies that trailed the 2023 general elections.
