Fatimah Otunsanya
Protesters on Monday stormed the entrance of the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, demanding clarity on the mandatory electronic transmission of election results amid controversies surrounding the ongoing Electoral Act amendment.
The demonstrators had vowed to confront lawmakers over reports that the Senate rejected a clause requiring the mandatory electronic transmission of election results. While the upper chamber has issued clarifications denying any complexity in its position, protesters insist that the legislation explicitly include the phrase “real-time electronic transmission.”
A heavy security presence was deployed at the scene, with personnel from the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps maintaining law and order as the demonstration unfolded.
Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, on Monday joined hundreds of demonstrators at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja to protest the Senate’s decision to remove “real-time” electronic transmission of election results from the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
The protest, tagged “Occupy the National Assembly,” was organised by members of the Obidient Movement and pro-democracy activists, who described the lawmakers’ action as a deliberate attempt to undermine electoral transparency ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Last week, the Senate passed the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Reenactment) Amendment Bill, 2026, through third reading. A major point of contention in the amended bill is the deletion of the phrase “real-time” in provisions dealing with the electronic transmission of election results—a move critics say weakens safeguards against manipulation.
Although the Senate has since issued multiple clarifications insisting it did not reject electronic transmission outright, protesters argue that the absence of the words “real-time electronic transmission” creates room for abuse and post-poll interference.
The National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, said the agitation would continue until the National Assembly explicitly restores real-time electronic transmission of results in the amended law.
“If there is no electronic transmission of results, there will be no election. Our elections must be credible,” he said.