By Maazi Obinna Akuwudike
The recent decision by the National Assembly to reject the electronic transmission of electoral results has stirred fresh debate about the future of Nigeria’s democracy. For many Nigerians, e-transmission represents transparency, accountability, and a step toward restoring confidence in elections. For others within the political class, however, it may represent a threat — a system that reduces the room for manipulation and “anti-people practices” that have too often defined our politics.
When lawmakers choose to block reforms that could strengthen electoral integrity, citizens are left to question whose interests are truly being protected. Democracy is not sustained by convenience for those in power; it is strengthened by systems that protect the will of the people — even when that will is inconvenient.
And here lies the deeper lesson.
Some years ago, when Nasir El-Rufai was firmly aligned with federal power, it is unlikely he would have publicly opposed the position of those in authority. When one is “wining and dining” with power, principles often become flexible. Policies that favour the establishment appear reasonable. Dissenters appear troublesome. Harassment of opponents may even be rationalised as “politics.”
Today, El-Rufai speaks of harassment and political pressure. He laments actions taken against him. Yet critics point out that not long ago, when he was part of the ruling circle, he may not have objected as strongly if similar actions were taken against others. That is the irony of power: when you hold it, you rarely imagine life without it.
Power has a way of blinding those who possess it. It convinces leaders that systems will always favour them. It creates an illusion of permanence. But politics is seasonal. Today’s insider can become tomorrow’s outsider. Today’s defender of a flawed system can become tomorrow’s victim of that same system.
The lawmakers sitting comfortably in the National Assembly today, resisting electoral reforms, may believe they are protecting their political survival. But the very policies they uphold now could one day work against them. The machinery they preserve for their benefit could eventually be used to sideline them. And when that day comes, they too may cry foul.
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History is consistent in this regard: tools of suppression rarely remain in the hands of one group forever.
This conversation is therefore bigger than El-Rufai. It is bigger than any individual politician. It is about the moral foundation of governance. If a system is unjust, it does not suddenly become just because it benefits you. If a policy weakens democracy, it does not become democratic because your party controls the outcome.
True leadership requires thinking beyond personal advantage. It demands building institutions that remain fair even when you are no longer in control of them.
Electoral reform, particularly electronic transmission of results, is fundamentally about trust. Nigerians want to believe that their votes count — that outcomes reflect ballots, not backroom calculations. Blocking reforms that enhance transparency sends the wrong signal. It suggests fear of scrutiny rather than confidence in popularity.
The moral is simple:
Never defend a system you would not be comfortable living under when you are out of power.
Never cheer injustice simply because it favours you today.
Because power rotates.
The same law you applaud today could trap you tomorrow. The same political weapon you ignore today could be turned against you tomorrow. The same silence you keep when others are targeted could echo when you seek sympathy.
Democracy is strongest when leaders build fair systems even at their own expense. That is statesmanship. Anything less is short-term survival dressed as strategy.
El-Rufai may be crying today. Tomorrow, it could be someone else. Perhaps even those who believe they are untouchable within the National Assembly.
Power is transient. Institutions endure.
And the measure of a just society is whether its systems protect both the powerful and the powerless — equally.
— Maazi Obinna Akuwudike is an Imo State 2027 Governorship hopeful and writes from Owerri
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