THE National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Sly Ezeokenwa, has defended the provisions of Nigeria’s Electoral Act 2022, stating that much of the criticism surrounding the law and election procedures stems from a lack of understanding of how the electoral process works.
Speaking during a media interaction in Lagos yesterday, Ezeokenwa said debates about election procedures particularly the electronic transmission of results, often overlook what the law actually stipulates.
He stressed that laws such as the Electoral Act emerge from a collective democratic process and should not be attributed to any single political party.
According to him, once the National Assembly of Nigeria passes a bill and it receives presidential assent, it becomes binding on all citizens regardless of political affiliations.
Addressing the controversy surrounding electronic transmission during the 2023 Nigerian presidential election, the APGA chairman argued that public discourse has largely been shaped by misconceptions about the system.
He explained that the electronic transmission mechanism introduced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is primarily designed to enhance transparency and public confidence in elections.
Under the system, he said, the presiding officer scans the polling unit result sheet and uploads it to the INEC Result Viewing Portal so that citizens can view results online in real time.
However, Ezeokenwa clarified that the Electoral Act still recognises physical collation of results as the legally binding process.
He said the uploaded images on the portal are mainly intended to promote transparency rather than serve as the official method of result collation.
According to him, confusion often arises because many people assume that uploading results to the portal automatically replaces the physical collation process.
“People confuse transmission of results to the portal with collation; they are different things,” he said, explaining that the law requires presiding officers to physically deliver results to the collation officer for official aggregation.
Ezeokenwa also maintained that allegations of election manipulation must be backed by documentary evidence, particularly alternative polling unit result sheets.
He argued that anyone challenging the outcome of an election must present certified copies of polling unit results showing discrepancies with the officially declared figures.
The APGA leader further used the opportunity to outline the party’s philosophy on governance, stating that politics should not be treated as a lifelong occupation.
According to him, the party encourages members to remain professionally engaged outside political office to discourage corruption and the monetisation of nomination processes.
Ezeokenwa noted that he continues to practice law even as national chairman, adding that election petition litigation forms part of his professional work.
He added that improving public understanding of the Electoral Act and Nigeria’s electoral procedures will be crucial in strengthening the country’s democracy ahead of future elections, including the 2027 presidential election.
