Former presidential candidate Peter Obi joined protesters at the National Assembly on Monday to oppose the Senate’s reported rejection of mandatory electronic transmission of election results.
Protesters, including civil society groups, human rights activists, opposition party members, and others, carried placards reading:
“Take legislative action on Electoral Act Amendment”
“Make electronic transmission of election results mandatory”
“Defend democracy”
The protest follows concerns that the Senate allegedly removed the “real-time” requirement from the proposed Electoral Act amendment, leaving result transmission at the discretion of INEC. The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) warned that failing to implement real-time electronic transmission could trigger mass action or boycotts during future elections.
Similarly, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) urged lawmakers to approve the amendment to Clause 60(3), emphasizing that clarity and integrity in result transmission are essential for democracy.
In response, Senate President Godswill Akpabio clarified that electronic transmission remains legal; the only change was removing the phrase “real time” to allow flexibility given network and security challenges.
