Labour Party Nenadi Usman says fears over EC8A manual vote transmission are exaggerated, urging strong agent deployment for credible 2027 elections
Senator Nenadi Usman, National Chairman of the Labour Party, has described concerns over the accompanying proviso to Section 60(3) of the Electoral Act 2022, which permits manual transmission of election results, as exaggerated.
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Usman spoke at the ‘Live Citizens Town Hall’ on the Electoral Act 2026 in Abuja over the weekend.
While commending lawmakers for approving electronic transmission of results to the IREV, Usman emphasised that the success of any political party ultimately depends on its presence and preparedness at polling units, rather than solely on technology.
“The proviso to Section 60(3) shows that Form EC8A is the primary source data and should be countersigned by candidates or polling agents, where available,” she explained.
“Political parties must ensure their agents are present in every polling unit.”
Usman highlighted lessons from the previous presidential election, noting that insufficient grassroots agent deployment hindered the Labour Party’s ability to substantiate certain results.
She added that meticulous preparation at polling units remains critical for electoral success.
“For us in the Labour Party, the foundation of electoral success lies in careful grassroots preparation. We are committing significant resources to ensure effective representation across the 176,974 polling units nationwide,” Usman said.
She concluded that widespread anxiety over real-time electronic transmission is misplaced if parties neglect their responsibilities on election day.
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“We will work on getting our act right, believe in the law, present our candidates and win elections come next year, 2027 by God’s grace,” Usman affirmed.
