Protesters resumed demonstrations at Nigeria’s National Assembly on Monday, urging lawmakers to mandate real-time electronic transmission of election results in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, 2026. The demonstrators, including civil society organisations such as the Situation Room and Action Aid, argued that manual collation of results must be entirely removed to prevent potential manipulation during elections.
The protest follows a recess in the National Assembly, which began after a sitting last Tuesday where senators debated the contentious Clause 60(3) of the amendment bill. During that session, Senate Chief Whip Senator Tahir Monguno (APC, Borno North) proposed removing the term “real-time” and replacing “transmission” with “transfer.” This amendment sparked objections from several senators, including Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (APGA, Abia South), who raised repeated points of order. Ultimately, the Senate approved electronic transmission of results to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Result Viewing Portal but retained manual collation as a backup for technical failures.
Security operatives barricaded the National Assembly complex on Monday, confining the protesters to the area outside the gates. Demonstrators maintained that a technological framework is already funded within the election budget, eliminating any justification for manual processes. They insisted that full transparency requires mandatory, real-time e-transmission without exceptions.
The Senate is scheduled to reconvene on Tuesday, February 17, at 11 a.m. to address national issues, including further deliberation on the electoral bill. However, protesters vowed to sustain pressure until the legislature removes provisions for manual collation entirely. Video footage of the demonstration circulated widely on social media, highlighting the intensity of the demand for electoral reform.
The dispute centres on balancing technological reliability with electoral integrity. Proponents of strict e-transmission argue it is critical for credible elections, while some lawmakers express caution about total reliance on technology without fallbacks. The final shape of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill remains a pivotal issue as Nigeria prepares for future electoral cycles, with civil society groups signalling their intent to monitor legislative proceedings closely. The outcome will determine the mechanisms for result collation and transmission, a process historically prone to allegations of malpractice.
