By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA – FOR the second time in recent weeks, protesters on Monday converged on the National Assembly, demanding lawmakers make real-time electronic transmission of election results mandatory in the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2026.

The protesters drawn from civil society groups including ActionAid Nigeria, AAN, Movement for the Transformation of Nigeria, MOTiON, and the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, called for the complete removal of manual collation of results, warning that it creates opportunities for manipulation.

Security operatives barricaded entrances to the National Assembly complex, forcing protesters to hold their demonstration outside the gates.

The protest followed lawmakers’ return from a five-day recess, during which assurances were reportedly given at plenary the previous week.

Speaking at the rally, the Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria, Dr Andrew Mamedu criticised the Senate’s version of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2025, describing it as weakened and inconsistent with agreements reached during stakeholder consultations.

Mamedu warned that the proposed amendments could undermine the credibility of the 2027 General Elections, particularly through the removal of provisions mandating real-time transmission of results from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s result portal.

He also stressed that compulsory electronic transmission is essential for enhancing transparency, curbing electoral malpractice, and restoring public confidence. Making the process conditional on technical challenges, he said, reopens vulnerabilities that earlier reforms were designed to close.

Referring to the 2023 General Elections, he noted that the absence of mandatory real-time transmission contributed to disputes, prolonged litigation, and widespread dissatisfaction with the outcome.

He urged the harmonisation committee to adopt the position of the House of Representatives, which retains provisions for electronic transmission, rather than that of the Senate.

The protesters also criticised proposals to shorten the Notice of Elections timeline. While the Electoral Act 2022 provides for a 360-day notice period, the Senate reduced it to 180 days, and the House proposed 300 days.

According to the coalition, the 360-day timeframe allows INEC adequate time for voter registration, logistics planning, procurement, voter education, and the training and deployment of ad-hoc staff.

They warned that reducing the timeline could disrupt party primaries, intensify pre-election disputes, and strain electoral preparations.

Meanwhile, the civil society groups emphasised that although the Conference (Harmonisation) Committee is a legitimate legislative process, it should not be used to dilute hard-won electoral safeguards.

Despite the developments, the protesters vowed to sustain pressure on lawmakers until mandatory real-time electronic transmission is clearly enshrined in law, insisting that with existing budgetary allocations for election technology, continued reliance on manual collation is unjustifiable.