PROTESTERS STORM N’ASSEMBLY, DEMAND MANDATORY REAL-TIME E-TRANSMISSION OF RESULTS
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
Protesters on Monday returned to the National Assembly of Nigeria, demanding that real-time electronic transmission of election results be made compulsory in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, 2026.
The demonstrators, comprising civil society organisations including YIAGA Africa Situation Room and ActionAid Nigeria, insisted that manual collation of results be completely eliminated to prevent alleged manipulation during the collation process.
Security operatives reportedly barricaded entrances to the National Assembly complex, forcing the protesters to hold their demonstration outside the gates.
Carrying placards and chanting solidarity songs, the demonstrators called for full transparency in the electoral process, arguing that there was no justification for retaining manual backups since the election budget already provides for technological infrastructure.
The protest followed a five-day break after lawmakers assured stakeholders during last Tuesday’s emergency plenary that concerns over the controversial clause would be revisited.
Senate Debate Sparks Controversy
During the emergency session, Senate Chief Whip, Senator Tahir Monguno (APC, Borno North), moved a motion to amend Clause 60(3) of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill by removing the phrase “real-time” and replacing the word “transmission” with “transfer.”
The move triggered heated debate on the floor, with Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (APGA, Abia South) repeatedly raising points of order in opposition.
At the end of deliberations, the Senate approved electronic transmission of results to the Independent National Electoral Commission Result Viewing Portal (IReV), but allowed manual collation as a fallback in the event of technical failures.
Protesters Reject Manual Backup
Addressing journalists, protest leaders maintained that retaining manual collation undermines electoral integrity and opens the door to potential tampering.
“There should be no room for manual interference if technology is available. Nigerians deserve full transparency,” one protester said.
The Senate is scheduled to reconvene on Tuesday, February 17, at 11 a.m., where further deliberations on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill and other national matters are expected.
Despite the security barricades, the protesters vowed to sustain pressure on lawmakers until real-time electronic transmission of results is made mandatory in the law.
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