In 2019 two Professors Were jailed for Akpabio, Do You Know Why, they Inflated Election results - Falana

Femi Falana, a prominent Senior Advocate of Nigeria, has strongly criticised the Nigerian Senate’s recent decision to reject a proposal that would have made electronic transmission of election results compulsory under the Electoral Act amendment.

In a video shared by Sahara TV, Falana highlighted the dangers of manual collation and transmission of election results, pointing to past incidents of result manipulation in Nigeria. 

He recalled that in 2019, two professors were jailed for allegedly manipulating results to favor Godswill Akpabio, who contested as the Godswill Akpabio candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District.

Falana said that the jailing of the professors was a clear demonstration of the consequences of inflating election results, and he warned that failing to implement electronic transmission of results could allow such manipulations to continue unchecked.

He explained that mandatory electronic transmission of results would increase transparency and reduce the risk of election result inflation or falsification. 

The Senate President, Senator Akpabio, in 2019 two professors were jailed for him. You know why? They inflated election results. So they want that to continue?” Falana asked in the video.

Falana also criticised the ruling party, noting that despite the APC controlling about 30 state governments across Nigeria, the party is allegedly still not confident of winning the 2027 general elections under current practices. 

He argued that strengthening the electoral system through technology is essential to ensure fair competition and prevent manipulation, regardless of the political party in power.

“The rejection of electronic transmission is a step backward for Nigeria’s democracy,” Falana said, stressing that credible elections are the cornerstone of democratic governance and public confidence in electoral institutions. 

He maintained that the use of technology would significantly limit the possibility of human interference and malpractice in the announcement of results.