24 Years of Failure: The High-Tech Mansion vs. The “No Network” Excuse
In the theater of Nigerian politics, irony often takes center stage. But few performances are as audacious as the recent claims surrounding the electronic transmission of election results in Abia State.
As we look toward the 2027 Presidential and General elections, a familiar ghost has returned to the airwaves: the claim that rural Nigeria is “not ready” for digital transparency. Leading this chorus is Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, a man whose personal lifestyle and political legacy provide a startling contrast to his arguments.
The 400-Room Paradox: Camp Neya
To understand the irony, one must look at Camp Neya (Named after Uzor Kalu’s Daugther), Senator Kalu’s palatial estate in his home town of Igbere. With over 400 rooms, an ICT center, ATM machines, and a world-class sports complex, the estate is a “smart city” in its own right.
Yet, when it comes to the basic infrastructure required to protect the votes of the people, the Senator’s narrative shifts. During the debates on the Electoral Act, Kalu famously argued that his constituency lacked the network coverage necessary for the electronic transmission of results.
The question remains: How can a man build a high-tech fortress with 400 rooms in a village he claims is too “disconnected” to send a digital election result?
The Trio of Decades: 24 Years, Zero Signal?
The “No Network” excuse isn’t just a technical observation; it is a confession of collective failure. Consider the lineage of power in Abia State over the last quarter-century:
- Orji Uzor Kalu (1999–2007): 8 years as Governor.
- Theodore Orji (2007–2015): 8 years as Governor.
- Okezie Ikpeazu (2015–2023): 8 years as Governor.
For 24 years, this “Trio of Failure” held the reins of power in Umuahia. If, after two dozen years of their combined leadership as Governors, and Orji Kalu as Senator claims His own home town still lacks the telecommunications infrastructure to support modern democracy, then they have effectively disqualified themselves from being voices of authority on “progress.”
Weaponizing Incompetence for Electoral Fraud
The resistance to the electronic transmission of election results has never been about technical feasibility. It is about maintaining the vulnerability of manual writing, a system where results are “written” in private rooms and “cancelled” at will in collation centers and announced at the Blackness of Night.
By using their own failure to provide network coverage as an excuse to block digital transparency, the old guard is essentially saying: “We didn’t build the infrastructure, so now we must be allowed to continue the manual systems that favor us.”
The Road to 2027: Demand for Competence
The era of Alex Otti has shown Abians and Nigerians what happens when competence replaces excuses. The 2023 victory was a “tech-backed” liberation where the BVAS and IReV acted as the final line of defense against result manipulation.
As we approach the 2027 Presidential election, Nigerians must demand Electoral Law Amendments that make the electronic transmission of results mandatory. We cannot allow the likes of the “Trio of Failure” to dictate the rules of an engagement they have spent 24 years undermining.
24 years of failure is enough. It is time to retire the “No Network” excuse and embrace a digital democracy where every vote is transmitted, tracked, and transparent.
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