The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to establish a clear legal framework that would enable the electronic transmission of results from polling units before the 2027 general elections.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, made the call at a news conference on Monday in Abuja, stressing that Nigerians wanted their votes to count and reflect their true wishes during elections.
Ologunagba maintained that electronic transmission of results remained the only guarantee for credible polls, adding that it would curb manipulation, strengthen democracy, and restore public confidence in the electoral process.
He also tasked INEC with addressing the technical glitches that plagued the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) during the 2023 elections. According to him, if Point of Sale (POS) machines could function effectively in remote areas, BVAS should not experience failures in such locations.
Ologunagba further questioned why Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) and POS terminals operate seamlessly nationwide while BVAS struggles in critical situations where voters expect reliable accreditation.
Speaking on the party’s elective convention scheduled for November in Ibadan, Ologunagba assured that it would produce a stronger and more united PDP. He disclosed that all statutory organs, chapters, and stakeholders were working towards a seamless and successful exercise.
He added that zonal meetings on micro-zoning of national positions allocated to the North and South had been concluded, with reports to be submitted soon. The sale of forms for national offices, he said, was ongoing in line with the timetable approved by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).
According to Ologunagba, the PDP remains organised, democratic, and connected to the people, insisting that the convention would place the party on firm ground to reclaim power in 2027.
On the appointment of a new INEC Chairman, he urged President Bola Tinubu to ensure the selection of a truly independent figure capable of conducting credible elections, stressing the need to build strong institutions rather than allow individuals to manipulate electoral processes.
Ologunagba also welcomed reports that Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State may soon be reinstated, describing it as a positive development. He reiterated the party’s position that his removal was unconstitutional, noting that his restoration would return Rivers people to democratic governance under a competent leader who had demonstrated capacity.
