Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, representing Abia South in the National Assembly, has declared that Nigeria’s electoral challenges are rooted not in technological inadequacies but in how the courts interpret electoral laws.
Abaribe made the assertion on Monday during a review of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s innovations in electoral technology spanning 2015 to 2025, an event organised by the Anthena Centre in Abuja.
The senator argued that Nigeria’s judiciary has failed to match the technological advancements introduced by INEC, particularly noting that courts frequently disregard INEC guidelines that should be treated as integral components of electoral law.
“I don’t think that there is anyone who is against innovation that will improve the process. If there’s anyone, not Enyinnaya Abaribe,” he stated. “I am actually a beneficiary of the new INEC process of direct transmission of results. The key issue we need to look at and most people are not paying attention is that our judicial processes are years behind the innovations we are implementing.”
Abaribe’s comments highlight a growing concern among legislators about the disconnect between electoral reforms and their enforcement through the legal system, suggesting that technological progress alone cannot guarantee electoral integrity without corresponding judicial adaptation.
In a separate development, Senator Abaribe recently responded to accusations from the All Progressives Grand Alliance, the party on whose platform he won his fifth senatorial term, regarding alleged ties with the African Democratic Congress.
The Abia State chapter of APGA, through a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Chukwuemeka Nwokoro, issued a 24-hour ultimatum demanding that Abaribe clarify his alleged association with the ADC or face sanctions. The party emphasized that no individual can simultaneously belong to two political parties and called on the senator to address allegations of anti-party activity.
APGA claimed that Abaribe held meetings on August 18 and September 23 at his event centre in Aba, where he allegedly promoted the ADC instead of APGA. The party challenged him to personally confirm or deny rumours of a defection to the ADC.
The party further accused Abaribe of abandoning APGA and treating its leadership with disdain after leveraging the party’s platform to secure his return to the red chamber.
Responding through his media aide, Uchenna Awom, in an interview with Vanguard, Abaribe stated that the party leadership knew how to properly contact him as their leader in the state and should refrain from engaging with unsubstantiated rumours.
