Ezekwesili’s criticism came after the Senate voted against a proposed amendment to the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill that would have made the electronic transmission of election results mandatory.

In a memo titled “Nigerian Senate, Senators, and the Political Class at Large Know When to Stop Playing with Fire” shared on , Ezekwesili claimed that lawmakers consistently prioritise personal and partisan interests over national development and the will of citizens.

According to the former World Bank Vice President, the Senate’s refusal to mandate real-time uploads of results from polling units is a deliberate attempt to preserve a discretionary loophole in the law. She rejected the Senate’s assertion that it did not oppose electronic transmission, insisting their actions were neither accidental, technical oversights, nor neutral compromises.

Ezekwesili highlighted several alleged failures of the legislature, including blocking or weakening electoral and anti-corruption reforms, approving inflated legislative budgets while public services deteriorate, and confirming “clearly unfit nominees” for executive positions in exchange for political favours.

The memo read in part:

“Nigerians mostly see the Senate as an ignoble and withering institution that delights in deliberate betrayal of public trust. Our lawmakers consistently prioritise personal and partisan interests over constituent welfare: blocking or watering down reform legislation, inflating budgets while public services collapse, confirming unfit nominees for political gain, and other actions at public expense.

“The Senate voted against making electronic transmission of election results mandatory and then falsely claimed it did not reject the measure. Let us call it what it is. In a closed plenary session, the Senators deliberately retained Section 60(5) of the Electoral Act 2022, which allows the presiding officer to transfer results in a manner ‘as prescribed by the Commission.’

“By leaving the method and timing of result transmission to the discretion of INEC instead of requiring real-time uploads, the Senate has weaponized ambiguity in our electoral law. This was a calculated decision, not an innocent oversight, and it ignores the anger of citizens exhausted by corruption and poor governance.

“Any Nigerian who paid attention to the 2023 elections knows that this discretionary clause caused the crisis that eroded public trust and damaged our democracy. The Senate knowingly reaffirmed it, and no reasonable Nigerian is fooled by their shenanigans.”

Ezekwesili’s statement underscores growing frustration over the perceived reluctance of lawmakers to strengthen transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s electoral system.