Catholic Bishops’ Conference President slams national assembly over alleged double standards on digital governance

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By Sunny A. David, Awka

President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Most Rev. Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, has criticized the National Assembly, accusing lawmakers of applying “double standards” in their approach to technology-based governance initiatives.

Delivering his presidential address at the opening of the CBCN’s 2026 First Plenary Meeting in Abuja on February 22, Archbishop Ugorji questioned the legislature’s commitment to electoral transparency while aggressively promoting digital systems for tax collection.

He pointed to the 2025 Tax Act, which came into force on January 1, 2026, mandating digital filing and record-keeping to enhance tax compliance. According to him, it is inconsistent for lawmakers to insist on digital accountability in revenue generation while failing to enshrine similar safeguards for elections.

The Archbishop warned against passing what he termed a diluted electoral bill that could allow room for manipulation. He stressed that if digital technology is considered reliable for taxation, it should equally be mandatory for protecting what he described as the nation’s “democratic currency”, the people’s mandate.

Citing declining voter turnout, he noted that only 23 percent of registered voters participated in the 2023 general elections, a trend he said undermines democratic legitimacy. To restore public confidence, he called for a legal requirement mandating real-time electronic transmission of election results from the BVAS to the IReV portal.

Beyond electoral matters, Archbishop Ugorji also raised concerns about national security. He decried what he described as a reactive approach to insecurity, lamenting that criminals often display ransom demands on social media without being traced through digital footprints.

He referenced the Woro and Nuku massacres, where over 200 Muslims were reportedly killed by extremists, and criticized the apparent absence of timely security intervention. He also highlighted the economic and security implications of illegal mining, which he said costs Nigeria over $9 billion annually and funds criminal activities, including mass kidnappings.

Questioning the government’s reintegration programme for repentant terrorists, the CBCN President warned that such policies risk creating an impression of complicity.

Looking ahead to the 2027 elections, Archbishop Ugorji urged Nigerians to elect leaders committed to service and the common good. He called for “holy politicians” who see public office as a responsibility rather than an opportunity to subvert the will of the people.

“The world is watching,” he concluded. “Above all, God is watching.”