Malam Nasir El-Rufai, the former Governor of Kaduna State and current chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has declared that he would have participated in Monday’s National Assembly protest alongside opposition leader Peter Obi if he were currently in Nigeria.
Speaking from abroad during an interview on Trust TV on Monday, February 9, 2026, El-Rufai reacted to the demonstration staged against the Senate’s decision to remove mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results from the Electoral Act.
“It’s unfortunate I have not been able to return to Nigeria, I would have joined Mr. Peter Obi and other party leaders in protesting to the National Assembly to restore the real-time and mandatory transmission of results from the polling unit,” El-Rufai stated.
The former governor criticized the Senate for blocking a provision that had already been approved by the House of Representatives.
He argued that electronic transmission is the only way to safeguard the integrity of the vote, as most electoral fraud occurs during the collation process rather than at the polling stations.
“It is the only way we can stop the manipulation that goes on in the coalition centres. That is where the real rigging takes place. Rigging doesn’t take place in the polling units. It is in the coalition centres,” he explained.
El-Rufai expressed frustration that such a critical reform was being stalled, noting, “This provision, which has been passed by the House of Representatives, but sadly, being frustrated by the Senate, would have improved the quality of our elections.”
He further alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola Tinubu’s administration are opposing the measure for purely political gain. “But we all know why the ruling party and the sitting government don’t want that, because they know they can’t win the elections, and the only way they have a fighting chance is to be able to manipulate the results after people have voted. So I would have joined them,” he added.
The protest at the National Assembly remains a focal point of tension as civil society groups and opposition figures warn that the exclusion of electronic transmission will damage public trust in the 2027 general elections.
Join Informant Online WhatsApp Channel With Link Below: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaihFajBadmT29ufud2
