Abuja — Protesters on Monday returned to the National Assembly complex, intensifying pressure on lawmakers to make real-time electronic transmission of election results compulsory in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, 2026.
The demonstrators, drawn from prominent civil society organisations including Situation Room Nigeria and ActionAid Nigeria, insisted that manual collation of results should be completely eliminated from the electoral process. According to them, retaining manual procedures creates room for manipulation at collation centres and undermines public confidence in elections.
Chanting solidarity songs and holding placards, the protesters argued that transparency can only be guaranteed if results are transmitted electronically and in real time directly from polling units, without fallback options.
Security operatives barricaded the entrances to the National Assembly complex, compelling the protesters to stage their demonstration outside the main gates. The rally followed a five-day suspension of protests after assurances were reportedly given to civil society groups during last Tuesday’s Senate sitting.
The renewed agitation comes amid controversy surrounding Clause 60(3) of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill. Last Tuesday, the Senate reconvened for an emergency plenary to revisit its earlier decision on the clause. During deliberations, Senate Chief Whip Tahir Monguno moved a motion to remove the phrase “real-time” and substitute the word “transmission” with “transfer.”
The proposal sparked heated debate on the Senate floor, with several lawmakers, including Enyinnaya Abaribe, raising strong objections and points of order.
At the end of the session, the Senate approved electronic transmission of results to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing Portal but retained manual collation as a backup in the event of technical failures.
Protest leaders dismissed the justification for manual backups, arguing that funds appropriated for elections already cover the technological infrastructure required for seamless electronic transmission. They warned that anything short of full real-time transmission would weaken electoral credibility ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Senate is scheduled to reconvene on Tuesday, February 17, at 11 a.m., to consider other national matters. However, civil society groups have vowed to sustain pressure on lawmakers until real-time electronic transmission of polling unit results is explicitly guaranteed in the amended law.
In a related development, a policy advocate addressing the issue stressed that effective regulation is essential for sustainable institutional growth, noting that regulation must enable value rather than inhibit it. He concluded that public confidence remains the true currency of any democratic process.
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