Former Senate President and National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Senator David Mark, has taken a firm stand against Senate President Godswill Akpabio over the ongoing amendment of the Electoral Act, insisting that the National Assembly should pass the law with real-time transmission of results and leave it to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to raise operational concerns.
The exchange came during the public presentation of The Burden of Legislators in Nigeria at the NAF ConferenceCentere, Abuja, where Mark chaired the event.
During his address, Akpabio urged ADC and other critics not to rush the National Assembly, arguing that the Senate had not concluded work on the amendment. He warned that real-time electronic transmission of election results could be problematic in many rural areas lacking electricity and internet access, potentially affecting electoral outcomes.
Mark, however, was unyielding. He told Akpabio that he could not speak for the ADC, noting that the party and many Nigerians are demanding a transparent, credible electoral process, including real-time transmission of results. “The National Assembly should pass the law and let INEC complain if there is a problem,” Mark said, adding that neither INEC nor Nigerians are currently raising objections.
He stressed that unnecessary explanations from the Senate only undermine public confidence in electoral reforms and reiterated that credible, technology-driven elections are essential to strengthening Nigeria’s democracy.
The book’s author, Senator Effiong Bob, said the memoir is a practical guide for legislators, exposing the realities of legislative work and challenges such as constituency overload and political godfatherism.
The event also saw contributions from Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Enoh and Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and the book was reviewed by Prof. Maxwell Gidado, SAN, with Premium Times as publisher.
