Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has called on the National Assembly to urgently amend the Electoral Act for mandatory real-time transmission of election results from BVAS polling units to the INEC IReV portal to curb tampering and reverse plunging voter turnout from 69% in 2003 to 23% in 2023.
Archbishop Lucius Ugorji of Owerri, outgoing CBCN President, made the plea Sunday at the 2026 First Plenary in Abuja, themed “The Common Good and Leadership in Nigeria,” warning declining participation undermines elected officials’ legitimacy as “mandates from a shrinking minority.”
Ugorji criticised legislative inconsistency—pushing digital tax reforms while diluting electoral transparency—urging NASS: “Don’t talk from both sides of the mouth; the world and God are watching.”
He also condemned rising insecurity as “senseless massacres,” illegal mining’s $9bn annual toll, as ex-NOA DG Mike Omeri advocated “servant leadership” to bridge rich-poor gaps.
