• Super Admin
• 06 Mar, 2026

Comrade Alex Omotehinse is the President of the Centre for Human and Socio-Economic Rights (CHSR). In this interview, he condemns members of the National Assembly for voting against electronic transmission of election results, real-time in the recently passed Electoral Act Bill because of fear of losing elections, he also explains why voter apathy will continue. The human rights activist urges those in positions of authority to be sincere if they truly want to tackle insecurity in the country, among others. JOY ANIGBOGU brings the excerpts: What does the low turnout of voters during the local government elections in Abuja portend for our future elections in Nigeria? It is not farfetched and it is not rhetoric that Nigerians are losing appetite for elections in the country. There is the belief that our votes don't count. You could see the agitation for electronic transmission of results and the way the National Assembly tactically dodged its full implementation. The fact is that the people would continue to lose interest in elections as long as we continue like this. What happened in the 2023 general elections discouraged the people from participating in the election, and that was why they asked for electronic transmission of results. All these excuses cannot encourage democracy in the country. If the National Assembly had been sincere and they were confident that they would win in their constituencies and districts, they would allow for electronic transmission of results. But because they are afraid of what would happen during the elections, they did not allow full electronic transmission of results and that is also dangerous for our democracy. The turnout of voters in Abuja last week is an example of what we should expect in other elections. Let's continue to use the Abuja council polls to test-run the 2027 general elections. We have seen a lot of complaints after the elections and it would have been better if we used electronic transmission of results. Nigeria has reached a stage where we can do electronic voting. Once you can call me on the phone from Abuja, Nasarawa or Kebbi, why can't we do electronic voting? If we say that people can vote from their mobile phones once they are registered, the confidence would be built in the electorate, they will be sure that their votes will count. We heard that thugs and some uniform men carted away ballot boxes during the Abuja council elections. If people vote from their phones from the comfort of their houses, where will you have people carting away ballot boxes? It will not happen. We are saying that we will get there, but have they now paved the way for us to get there. If the National Assembly wants credible, free and fair elections, we will get it, but this may not be possible under the 10th National Assembly. Where you have the legislature aligning with the executive, you cannot get good results. The National Assembly said that they allowed manual recording in the Electoral Act because there is no network in some parts of the country, don't you think they are right? That is not a good excuse, there is no place that is without a network in Nigeria. Even at that, let us find out where they don't have a network. In Lagos State, there is a network everywhere, in Ogun State, they have a network even as far as Agbara and in other areas. If there are places without a network, let us know them and the number of polling units there. Nigeria doesn't have records of all these things, if not, this excuse would not be a point. You can say that may be in Ilaje Local Government Area in Ondo State or any other place, they don't have a network, then we go for manual labour. You have to be specific. It is not an excuse, let us identify those places. But our politicians always do what favours them. During the time of former president Good luck Jonathan, they used card readers that rejected fingerprints, but that did not stop the election and this made people rig elections. Technology wise, Nigeria has gone far, let us learn to move forward rather than remaining stagnant. Our legislators should make laws that would make us move forward. President Bola Tinubu recently appealed to the National Assembly to include state police in the constitution, in your view, how best do you think we can fight insecurity, is it by state police or in what other ways? This issue of security is serious, but state police have advantages and disadvantages. What we experience with Traffic compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE) in Ogun State, Osun State Youth Empowerment Scheme (O'Yes) in Osun State, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) in Lagos State, and Amotekun in Ondo State will continue with state police. There is no way you will create police that you will not arm them and they would become instruments in the hands of governors and local governments chairmen. If we have state police, it would lead to more problems. Let us see what we have achieved with those ones before we talk of state police. We are against state police due to what we have experienced with LASTMA, KAI and even Lagos Neighbourhood Watch. When you give Nigerians an opportunity, they will go the extra mile. In Nigeria, it is about he who pays the piper pays the tune. The best way we can handle insecurity in Nigeria is sincerity of purpose, if our security agencies, royal fathers, political leaders and others are sincere, it would be easy to eradicate insecurity. In what ways do you think they should act? If our community leaders, royal fathers, political leaders, local governments' chairmen, governors, assembly members and even security agents are sincere, insecurity would be a thing of the past. We have seen where they arrested community leaders for kidnapping, we have seen where security officers are transporting arms and ammunition for bandits. We have seen a royal father being arrested and arraigned among kidnappers. If we are sincere and we have one mind, it will be over. It is because we are not sincere with ourselves. President Donald Trump of the United States of America declared Nigeria a country of particular concern. There is a particular individual in Nigeria who knows those who are tormenting and terrorising the country and nothing is done to him. They are advocating that they are fighting for their rights and people are negotiating for them. When they compare them with Niger Delta agitators, I begin to wonder. Niger Deltans have reasons to agitate. Crude oil was being taken from their region and they demanded for development and inclusion in sharing of the resources taken from their area. These bandits attacked people on the road, they stopped farmers from going to the farms, and they also attacked travelers. They do videos of how they deal with their victims and how they take funds from the people and they are never tracked. But if I do a video and criticise they government, they would trace me and deal with me. Our insincerity is the cause of insecurity. Every sector must be sincere, security will not cost us a penny if we are sincere and if everyone says, I want to do my best for the country. People are now comfortable eating from the proceeds of crimes. For example, there is a place in Kwara State, when they heard about invasion of the area by Americans, they informed the bandits and they ran away. These are the people that are complaining that they are being tormented. If you want to fight corruption or insecurity, it can only be done with sincerity. The country can only move forward if we are all sincere. Source: https://independent.ng/fear-of-losing-elections-made-legislators-vote-against-electronic-transmission-omotehinse/