The recent controversy surrounding the voice vote in the House of Representatives highlights the need for the National Assembly to adopt an electronic voting system. The incident, which generated unnecessary tension and mistrust, could have been avoided if a more transparent and reliable method was deployed.

The two chambers of the National Assembly – the Senate and House of Representatives, are governed by specific rules.

Also, the use of the electronic voting system erases human error and ensures accuracy. Again, it fosters faster voting processes and instant results. Above all, there will be accountability as lawmakers’ votes shall be on record for their constituents and the entire world to know their stance, thus promoting accountability.

In spite of enumerated advantages of using the electronic scoreboard,  installed with millions of Naira of taxpayers money for resolution of heated debates, principal officers of the bi-camera Assembly, have totally abandoned the digital platform alternative for resolving thorny and critical issues confronting the country. Instead, they have continued to deploy crooked uncivilized voice votes that often create confusion. This is exactly what the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, did on February 17, 2026, during the heated debate raging across the country on real-time transmission of election results. The action of the Speaker led to a very rowdy session in the green chamber, prompting some members to stage a walk-out in protest over the controversial bill for the Electoral Amendment Act.

It started after a motion for the House to reverse its decision on the Electoral Act bill, passed on December 23, 2025. After a rigorous debate, the Speaker then put the motion to a voice vote. While the “nays” were louder than the “ayes”, he controversially ruled that the ayes had it, a development which triggered protests. The action of the Speaker amounts to total disrespect and disregard for millions of Nigerians, within and outside who were watching the event live on television.

There have been past instances where the none use of electronic scoreboard generated tension. For instance, during the debate for the declaration of State of Emergency proclaimed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in Rivers State, controversy erupted when the Speaker’s decision on the voice vote was hotly disputed, highlighting concerns about manipulation and lack of transparency. These incidents underscore the need for transparent voting methods, like electronic voting, to ensure accountability and credibility in Nigeria’s legislative process.

Given that the National Assembly has acquired and installed an electronic voting and results transmission device, it raises concern why it is not being utilized to boost public trust, transparency, and accountability.

The action of the Speaker, who glaringly turned down popular voices in favour of real time transmission of electronic votes in the Green Chamber, signals the unwillingness of the few who cling tightly unto power and would not allow popular voices in line with democratic tenants.

Such a unilateral decision from the Speaker might further embolden those peaceful protesters (some of whom have been camping at the entrance gate of the National Assembly) and indeed across the country to continue to escalate their agitation. Already, a coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) are insisting on Real-Time Transmission 0f Election Results or nothing. The CSOs have teamed up with other pro-democracy activists in Abuja, to keep their agitation live. They are demanding mandatory electronic transmission, which they believe is essential to strengthening electoral integrity and reducing malpractices.

DAILY ASSET is hereby urging the National Assembly to embrace technology and adopt total electronic voting for transparency and accountability.

The parliament is the bastion of democracy. It is the only arm that stands out to defend the masses. Therefore, members of the National Assembly who constantly gauge the mood of their constituents and vote in line with aspirations of their constituencies should not be blacked out through a nebulous voice vote. Their stance on topical issues confronting the country should not be buried. It is the fundamental right of every Nigerian to track the views of elected representatives in order to hold them to account.

General Murtala Ramat Muhammed needs no introduction to Nigerians of the post-Nigerian civil war era. He rose to the rank of Brigadier-General in 1971 and served as Federal Commissioner for Communications before becoming head of state.

His brief rule witnessed unprecedented reforms – often implemented “with immediate effect”.

The critics behind the conspiracy theory that Murtala’s reforms destroyed the nation’s civil service, may have a point because the civil service is still fraught with the challenges of corruption and inefficiency in spite of the reforms.

On July 29, 1975, he was named Head of State and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces following a bloodless military coup. Interestingly, his short reign had a major impact on subsequent developments in the country. On assumption of office, he reformed the civil service and other major institutions.

He put an end to General Yakubu Gowon’s 9-year rule and served between July 1975 and February 1976. Known for his rapid, decisive reforms, including a major civil service purge and the creation of seven new states, Murtala was more or less in a hurry to bring about ground-breaking changes during his short lived military rule.

He wasted no time conceiving the idea of moving the nation’s capital from Lagos to Abuja. However, his 200-day stay on the saddle was cut short by the Lieutenant Colonel Bukar Suka Dimka-led abortive coup on Friday February 13, 1976, exactly 50 years ago today.

Born on November 8, 1938, in the Kurawa Quarters of Kano City, General Murtala Mohammed attended Barewa College, Zaria before enlisting and training at the Regular Officers Training School, Ghana. Thereafter, he attended Sandhurst Royal Military Academy, England; and Catterick School of Signals also in England. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in 1961. Thereafter, he served in the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in the Congo.

Another remarkable landmark of the late no-nonsense general as earlier stated was his restructuring of Nigeria’s state system and eventual creation of seven states on February 3, 1976, ten days to his unfortunate assassination. He created the additional seven states from the existing 12. The seven new states he created were: Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Imo, Niger, Ogun, and Ondo.

General Mohammed served in the Nigerian contingent to the United Nations’ Peace Keeping Force to Congo and on his return, he was posted to the Signals Corp of the Nigerian Army where he had earlier served.

He was a frontline commander in the Nigerian Army in charge of the Second Infantry Division that played a pivotal role in the Mid-Western region during the civil war – 1967 to 1970. After the civil war, he returned as head of the Signals Corp, and later served as Commissioner of Communications during the military government of General Yakubu Gowon.

His government outlined a political program that included the creation of seven more states, the drafting of a new constitution, and the organization of state and national elections as a prelude to the return to civilian rule on October 1, 1979. A committee for a new federal capital was appointed and the findings culminated in the change of the federal capital from Lagos to Abuja. His government also ran a dynamic foreign policy which took a bold stand against apartheid in South Africa and colonial rule in Africa, aligning Nigeria with liberation movements across the continent.

The late general remains one of Nigeria’s most celebrated leaders; remembered for his dynamism, patriotism and sweeping reforms during his short but impactful tenure as Head of State. Though he governed for only 200 days, his leadership redefined the national spirit and left an indelible mark on the country’s history.

Muhammed’s overthrow of General Gowon, who was away in Uganda attending an OAU summit on July 29, 1975, came like a bolt from the blues.

He came to power and hit the ground running as if he was aware that he had limited time on the saddle. At the time, many Nigerians felt Gowon’s administration had become stagnant and lacked the drive to implement reforms.

His arrival ushered in a wave of changes and optimism. He maintained that his plan to move the seat of power from Lagos to Abuja was due congestion and strategic concerns in Lagos. Although he conceived it, he was cut down in his prime and never witnessed what he had set out to achieve. He implemented measures to cut waste, improve government accountability, and instill a new sense of urgency in governance. His straightforward style and refusal to tolerate corruption earned him a reputation as a no-nonsense leader.

On the morning of February 13, 1976, General Murtala Muhammed was assassinated in Lagos in an attempted coup, led by Lt. Col. Buka Suka Dimka. His death threw the nation into shock and widespread mourning because he rapidly became a symbol of hope and reform in post-civil war Nigeria.

He was succeeded by his deputy, General Olusegun Obasanjo, who continued many of his policies and oversaw the transition to civilian rule in 1979. Despite his brief time in office, Murtala Muhammed is remembered as a leader who acted with urgency, patriotism and vision. His era is often described as a turning point when Nigerians felt a renewed sense of national purpose.

In a bid to immortalise him, the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos and several structures across the country were named in his honour. Also, his portrait is superimposed on the country’s twenty naira note. He was married to Ajoke Muhammed, and they had six children. His contributions to national development and his stance that “Africa as a continent had come of age” and should cease to be subservient to Europe and America were remarkable.

Additionally, the late general’s strong advocacy for African independence, notably opposing colonial influence in Angola and insisting that because Africa had come of age, it can survive on his own. Such are some of his greatest legacies that would remain indelible across the African continent.

As DAILY ASSET reflects on enduring legacies of General Murtala Muhammed, we urge the present crop of politicians to take a cue from the dream of our founding fathers to be patriotic by offering selfless service at all levels of governance. They should make public service less attractive through the implementation of genuine developmental reforms instead of looting the public treasury for self-aggrandizement. The absence of good governance has continued to push millions of Nigerians into multi-dimensional poverty. This is unacceptable.

All Nigerians deserve to be given a sense of belonging. The task ahead should not only engender patriotic feelings and passion among the citizenry, it should also fuel, sustain and consolidate the much needed national unity. By and large, fifty years after his untimely death, the late head of state is still being remembered for his service to the nation and not about primitive accumulation of wealth. It is important for present and future generations to understand the sacrifices made by our past leaders in nation building.

Achievers are people willing to go the extra mile to make things happen. They do this both for the sake of humanity and self fulfilment. They find meaning in making things happen in an extraordinary way. That is what it means to be an achiever who deserves  to be recognised.

The world is replete with one consensus-reward for honesty, accountability, transparency and good work.

The world’s oldest Excellence Awards, The Nobel Prize: motivated by Alfred Nobel in 1901, was born out of the desire to recognize and reward outstanding contributions in various fields to encourage achievements that benefit humanity, focusing on Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Literature, and Peace.

Some of the world’s most outstanding and oldest excellence awards are; Academy Awards (Oscars) initiated in 1929 to reward excellence in entertainment and film industry. Others include: the Fields Medal in 1936, the highest honour in mathematics and Turing Award in 1966, which recognizes groundbreaking contributions in computer science. There is also Order of the British Empire initiated in 1917  recognizing public service, arts, science, and charitable contributions.

A few of the above awards, recognized globally for their prestige and historical significance are being sustained for their impact in shaping, inspiring, motivating and bringing out the very best in individuals’ field of endeavour.

This is what DAILY ASSET annual awards was set out to emulate; to fuel and inflame passion, zeal and innovation in men and women, young and old. The awards are motivated by the prospect of accomplishing something important and making a difference, both in their own and other people’s lives.

Achievers innovate, stimulate and energise teamwork. They push frontiers of development.

High-achievers remain enthusiastic. He or she does the best in profering solutions, even when everyone else sees things through the prism of impossibility. Simply put, achievers think out of the box.

People gather every other day for myriad reasons. But when an organisation (DAILY ASSET) with a constitutional responsibility, under Section 22 of the Nigerian Constitution, to

mirror society and hold public officers accountable for their stewardship, pulls together eminent personalities from diverse backgrounds for the sole purpose of honouring those that have excelled in their chosen fields, then society is being shaped for the better.

As a result, the gathering to celebrate outstanding individuals and corporate entities who have demonstrated exceptional dedication, innovation and impact in their fields is the contribution of DAILY ASSET to setting high standards. It is also to appreciate excellence. In a world with multiple blocks of failure and few for success, some individuals and corporate entities who rise above board calls for our collective applause.

By recognizing these achievers, we acknowledge the power of hard work, passion, and perseverance. Their successes will motivate others to strive for greatness, creating a ripple effect of excellence that can transform industries and communities for the overall advantage of the country.

To our honorees, your work shines brightly. We are proud to recognize your excellence. Your commitment to your craft is a testament to what is possible when talent meets opportunity. You are role models, showing us what is achievable with dedication  and determination.

As we honour our awardees,  we also acknowledge the impact of their ingenuity, which no doubt will continue to inspire present and future generations.