ABUJA — The Senate, yesterday, said it is not opposed to public criticism and peaceful protests over its handling of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, assuring Nigerians that the controversy surrounding the removal of the phrase “real-time” from provisions on electronic transmission of election results will be addressed at an emergency plenary sitting today.
Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, spoke as hundreds of protesters besieged the National Assembly complex in Abuja, demanding that lawmakers explicitly provide for mandatory, real-time electronic transmission of results in the amended Electoral Act.
Adaramodu told Vanguard that Nigerians have the right to ventilate their grievances peacefully, stressing that such actions are part of democratic practice.
“The Senate is not averse to Nigerians showing their feelings. We are in a democracy, and people have the right to express themselves peacefully,” he said.
According to him, the Senate will reconvene today to consider and approve the votes and proceedings of last Wednesday’s plenary, during which the controversial amendment was passed.
“Tomorrow (today), we will be having an emergency sitting to approve the votes and proceedings of our last sitting. As a Senate, we are not averse to Nigerians expressing their views in a very peaceful manner.
‘’We are in a democracy, and we will do what we have been elected to do for the people of Nigeria,” Adaramodu added.
Protest rocksthe National Assembly
The assurance came amid heightened tension around the National Assembly, following a protest tagged “Occupy the National Assembly,” organised by the Obidient Movement, in collaboration with pro-democracy groups.
This was as the Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE; former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Olisa Agbakoba, SAN; Movement for Credible Elections, MCE; and Fixpolitics, among others, urged the National Assembly to ensure that real-time transmission of poll results was included in the electoral law.
The demonstrators accused lawmakers of deliberately weakening Nigeria’s electoral framework, ahead of the 2027 general elections, by deleting the words “real-time” from provisions dealing with electronic transmission of results in the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Re-enactment) Amendment Bill, 2026.
Security around the complex was tightened as personnel of the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, barricaded the main entrance, preventing protesters from gaining access into the premises.
Carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Our votes must count,” “No to electoral robbery,” and “Protect democracy now,” the protesters insisted that anything short of an explicit, mandatory real-time electronic transmission clause will leave room for manipulation during result collation.
The protesters vowed to sustain pressure on lawmakers until their demand was reflected verbatim in the final version of the bill.
The demonstrators, drawn from civil society organisations, youth groups and political movements, converged on the main entrance of the National Assembly early in the morning, insisting that the amended Electoral Act must clearly contain the words “real-time electronic transmission” to remove ambiguity and strengthen the credibility of future elections.
They argued that anything short of an unambiguous provision will undermine public confidence in the electoral process and leave room for manipulation during collation.
Obi’s presence further galvanised the protesters, many of whom viewed him as a symbol of the youth-driven political awakening witnessed during the 2023 general elections.
Obi joins protest
Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, joined the protesters, a development that further drew national attention to the agitation.
Addressing journalists at the protest ground, Obi warned against a gradual erosion of democratic gains in the country, describing credible elections as the foundation of national stability and development.
“We must dismantle this criminality and prove that we are now a nation that shows light in Africa,” he said.
Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, urged the National Assembly to enact laws that clearly mandate electronic transmission of election results, warning against a repeat of the controversies that trailed past elections.
“The danger was clear. We have suffered the danger. That’s what we have suffered before. We don’t want any glitch again. This is finished. We want things to come back to normal. No more glitch,” he declared.
‘No electronic transmission, no election’
On his part, the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Dr Yunusa Tanko, said the agitation will continue until the National Assembly 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,” Tanko said.
He argued that previous elections were marred by manual interference during collation, which electronic transmission was designed to address, following reforms introduced after the 2011 and 2015 elections.
Nigeria’s electoral reform process gained momentum after the widely criticised 2007 general elections. The introduction of card readers in 2015 and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, in 2022 were hailed as significant steps towards transparency, although implementation challenges persisted.
Popular activist, Mr Randy Peters, accused the political class of betraying democratic ideals and vowed that protesters will return to the National Assembly until their demands are met.
“Tomorrow (today), we will be back here until the Senate does the right thing. The current administration supported the June 12 campaign. It was about free and fair elections,” he said.
Invoking the spirit of the June 12, 1993 elections, Peters asked why elected leaders would resist reforms that guarantee credible outcomes.
“Do we have democrats who are afraid of losing elections? In 2027, our votes must count. Tomorrow, they will meet us here again,” he added.
CSOs demand real-time results, downloadable PVCs
Meanwhile, a coalition of leading civil society organisations, CSOs, also raised the alarm over what it described as growing legal uncertainty around Nigeria’s electoral framework, warning that delays and controversial amendments to the Electoral Bill could undermine preparations for the 2027 general elections.
At a joint briefing in Abuja, the groups urged the conference committee of the Senate and House of Representatives to adopt the House position on mandatory real-time electronic transmission of results, downloadable voter cards, and retention of existing electoral timelines.
The organisations include the Centre for Media and Society, CEMESO; The Kukah Centre; International Press Centre, IPC; ElectHER; Nigerian Women Trust Fund; TAF Africa; and Yiaga Africa.
The statement was read by Founder of The Albino Foundation, TAF, Dr Jake Epelle.
The groups recalled that they had earlier criticised the Senate’s rejection of mandatory electronic transmission, opposition to downloadable Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, for missing or unissued cards, and the decision to shorten key electoral timelines.
They also faulted the removal of a proposed 10-year ban on offences related to buying and selling of PVCs.
According to them, the divergence between the Senate and the House of Representatives has “profound implications for the integrity of the 2027 general elections.”
“Electoral reform is not merely a procedural exercise; it is foundational to the credibility, transparency and predictability of democratic transitions,” the groups said.
The CSOs identified conflicting narratives surrounding the Senate’s decision, including claims that it endorsed real-time transmission, retained INEC’s discretion, or replaced the word “transmit” with “transfer.”
“That legislation of such national importance is mired in political contestation is deeply troubling,” they said.
INEC urged to release 2027 timetable
The groups also urged INEC to issue the notice of elections for the 2027 polls in line with the Electoral Act 2022.
They noted that Section 28(1) of the Act empowers INEC to issue election notices 360 days before polling day and warned that uncertainty surrounding the amendments may be delaying the timetable.
“The 2022 Electoral Act remains operative until amended. The inchoate status of the Electoral Bill does not suspend INEC’s statutory obligations,” they said.
With general elections traditionally held on the third Saturday of February, the 2027 polls would fall on February 20, 2027, requiring INEC to issue notice by February 24, 2026.
NGE warns of mistrust
Also yesterday, the Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE, warned that the Senate’s position on electronic transmission of results was creating room for doubt and mistrust in the electoral process.
In a statement signed by its President, Mr. Eze Anaba, and General Secretary, Mr. Onuoha Ukeh, the NGE expressed concern over the controversy trailing the amendment.
“This development is already creating room for doubt and mistrust in the electoral process among Nigerians,” the statement said. The editors noted that allowing transmission of results without making it mandatory and immediate runs contrary to the widely held position of Nigerians and could discourage voter participation.
“At a time when Nigerians are calling for mandatory and immediate transmission of election results from polling units to central collation centres, the Senate’s position leaves much to be desired,” the NGE stated.
It urged the National Assembly, as it reconvenes to harmonise positions with the House of Representatives, to approve mandatory and immediate transmission of results to INEC’s central servers and collation centres.
“Anything short of this will be out of step with contemporary and progressive electoral practices,” the guild warned.
2027 elections at risk MCE
A national coalition of civic groups, Movement for Credible Elections, MCE, also warned that the 2027 general elections could be at risk without far-reaching electoral reforms.
The group, led by Usman Bugaje, Ayuba Wabba, Pat Utomi and Mark Adebayo, among others, made the call at its inaugural steering council meeting in Ikeja, Lagos.
Bugaje said: “If the reform is not carried out before the election, then the 2027 general elections are seriously at risk.”
The coalition listed persistent challenges such as electoral violence, vote buying, weak logistics, selective deployment of technology and manipulation during collation as recurring features of Nigeria’s elections.
MCE demanded mandatory, immediate and non-negotiable electronic transmission of results, stronger sanctions for electoral offences and greater institutional independence for INEC.
Prof. Utomi warned that Nigeria was “pushing dangerously to the brink,” urging citizens to insist on reforms that protect the ballot.
Nigerians deserve better – Ameh
Also reacting, former National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Committee, IPAC, Chief Peter Ameh, said Nigerians deserved an Electoral Act that reflected their aspirations for credible elections.
“The Senate’s passage of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, with amendments that largely retain the status quo, amounts to nothing more than a routine ritual devoid of substance.
“The refusal to mandate real-time electronic transmission has preserved the very vulnerabilities that have plagued previous elections—manual interference, result alteration and mistrust,’’ Ameh said.
He warned that the decision sent a negative message to Nigerian youths.
Meanwhile, prominent human rights lawyer, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, urged the National Assembly to seize what he described as a “monumental opportunity” to resolve persistent legal uncertainty in Nigeria’s electoral framework by enshrining mandatory real-time electronic transmission of results in the Electoral Act.
In a post on his X platform, Agbakoba said repeated disputes over election outcomes were rooted in the absence of clear statutory backing for electronic transmission of results.
“The 2023 election exposed a critical gap in our electoral legal framework. Despite INEC’s deployment of the IReV portal for electronic transmission of results, the Supreme Court ruled that this innovation lacks legal force,” he said.
According to him, the court held that because electronic transmission is not explicitly provided for in the Electoral Act 2022 and exists only in INEC’s regulations and guidelines, it is not legally binding.
Agbakoba noted that this gap imposes an “insurmountable evidentiary burden” on election petitioners, recalling the late Justice Pat Acholonu’s observation in Buhari v. Obasanjo (2005) on the difficulty of verifying results from over 176,000 polling units.
He said: “Without this amendment, we risk perpetuating the same cycle of disputed elections, protracted litigation and damaged democratic credibility that has plagued Nigeria’s Fourth Republic.”
FixPolitics slams Senate
Similarly, the #FixPolitics initiative described the Senate’s handling of the amendment as “a direct assault on electoral integrity and public trust.”
In a statement by its Executive Director, Mr. Anthony Ubani, the group said the controversy was neither a misunderstanding nor a technical error.
“When lawmakers themselves dispute the content of laws, citizens lose faith. When trust is broken repeatedly, democracy becomes hollow,” Ubani said.
VANGUARD.
