Sowore Claims 90% of Lawmakers Will Be Replaced if Elections Are Transparent

Omoyele Sowore, a prominent human rights activist and politician, has claimed that around 90% of elected officials in Nigeria would not secure their positions if elections were conducted with full transparency.

This assertion was made in response to the ongoing debates surrounding modifications to the Electoral Act, particularly concerning provisions for the electronic transmission of election results.

On February 10, the Senate approved amendments to the Electoral Act that would allow for electronic result transmission, a change that many citizens have long advocated. However, they also kept a clause permitting manual results collation in areas lacking adequate internet access, which has drawn criticism from various quarters as unnecessary.

During an interview with Channels Television on February 11, Sowore expressed that lawmakers are generally hesitant to implement reforms that would enhance the transparency of the electoral process, fearing such reforms could jeopardize their positions in office.

He described the justification of poor network coverage as an excuse, claiming it diminishes the goal of having transparent elections.

"The argument that there is no network in certain regions is simply a convenient excuse. They do not want elections to be fair and transparent because, if they were, 90% of them would lose their seats in the National Assembly, the presidency, and other elected roles. They are fully aware of this," Sowore stated.