ADC Chieftain Blasts Akpabio as ‘Enemy of Democracy,’ Demands Resignation Over E-Transmission Rejection

|By Chinwendu Nwani

A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Kenneth Okonkwo, has launched a blistering attack on Senate President Godswill Akpabio, branding him an enemy of democracy over the Senate’s rejection of real-time electronic transmission of election results.

Okonkwo, a lawyer and Nollywood veteran-turned politician, made the remarks on Sunday during an interview on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande. He argued that Akpabio should either resign honourably or be removed from office for presiding over what he described as a backward legislative decision that undermines Nigeria’s democratic process.

His comments followed the Senate’s decision on Wednesday to reject a proposed amendment to Clause 60, subsection 3 of the Electoral Amendment Bill, which sought to make electronic transmission of election results mandatory.

Reacting strongly, Okonkwo cited a pronouncement by Supreme Court Justice Abba Aji, stressing that technological advancement in elections is inevitable and essential to democracy. According to him, resisting electronic transmission in a digital age amounts to deliberately encouraging electoral malpractice.

He said opposing the use of technology in transmitting election results sustains a “vicious cycle” of rigging, manipulation and falsification, a position he noted the Supreme Court had already condemned.

Okonkwo accused the legislature of willful prevarication, insisting that by maintaining provisions the apex court warned against, the Senate President had aligned himself against democratic principles.

He maintained that Akpabio’s stance effectively places him in opposition to free, fair and credible elections, adding that continued refusal to embrace electronic transmission of results damages public trust in the electoral process.

Okonkwo concluded that the Senate President should step aside if he cannot uphold reforms that strengthen democracy and guarantee electoral transparency.