By Haruna Salami
Protesters on Monday resumed their demonstration at the National Assembly, calling for the compulsory inclusion of real-time electronic transmission of election results in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, 2026.
The demonstrators, made up of various civil society organisations such as Situation Room and Action Aid, demanded the total removal of manual collation of results, warning that it creates opportunities for manipulation during the collation process.
The renewed protest followed a five-day break in legislative activities after assurances were given during last Tuesday’s plenary session.
Security personnel reportedly sealed off access points to the National Assembly complex, compelling the protesters to stage their rally outside the main gates.
Participants stressed the need for complete transparency in the electoral process, maintaining that real-time electronic transmission must be mandatory. They argued that manual backup provisions are unnecessary, especially as the election budget already provides for the required technological infrastructure.
It will be recalled that the Senate reconvened for an emergency plenary last Tuesday to reconsider its earlier position on Clause 60 (3) of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill. The Senate Chief Whip, Tahir Monguno (Borno North) proposed the removal of the words “real-time” and the substitution of “transmission” with “transfer”.
The proposal generated intense debate, with lawmakers, including Enyinnaya Abaribe, strongly objecting and repeatedly raising points of order.
Following deliberations, the Senate resolved to approve electronic transmission of results to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing Portal (IReV), while retaining manual collation as a contingency in the event of technical glitches.
The Senate is expected to reconvene on Tuesday, February 17, at 11 a.m. to deliberate further on national matters.
Meanwhile, the protesters have vowed to sustain their agitation until lawmakers make real-time electronic transmission of results fully mandatory.
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