Former Sokoto State Governor and ex-Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has argued that election outcomes in Nigeria are not always a true reflection of voters’ choices, pointing to flaws in the collation process as a major concern.
Tambuwal said that while Nigerians turn out to vote, what happens after ballots are cast often undermines the credibility of the process. According to him, results announced at collation centres frequently differ from the actual votes recorded at polling units.
“Elections in Nigeria are not solely determined by the people who vote,” he said. “At the collation stage, certain activities take place that do not accurately represent the votes cast by citizens.”
He further alleged that some politicians exploit weaknesses in the electoral system, while compromised officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) contribute to the problem.
“There are loopholes that politicians take advantage of, and some electoral officials allow themselves to be compromised,” Tambuwal added.
The former governor called for comprehensive reforms of Nigeria’s electoral framework, stressing the need for greater transparency and accountability, especially during result collation.
He said such reforms are critical to restoring public confidence in the country’s democratic process.
