| Obi joins scores of protesters at National Assembly| Editors express concern
| CSOs, Southern and Middle Belt leaders insist on mandatory transmission of poll results
Protests have continued to grow over the Senate's rejection of the mandatory electronic transfer of election results.
Even though the Red Chamber has convened an emergency sitting for Tuesday, many believe it is unrelated to the controversy surrounding the Electoral Amendment Bill.
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Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, on Monday joined hundreds of protesters at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja to oppose the Senate's decision to remove the phrase "real-time" from provisions on electronic transmission of election results in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
The protest, tagged "Occupy the National Assembly," was organised by members of the Obidient Movement alongside pro-democracy activists, who accused lawmakers of attempting to weaken electoral transparency ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The agitation follows the Senate's passage last week of the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Re-enactment) Amendment Bill, 2026.
A key controversy in the amended legislation is the deletion of the word "real-time" from sections relating to the electronic transmission of results, a move critics argue could open the door to manipulation.
Although the Senate has issued several clarifications, insisting that it did not reject electronic transmission of results, protesters maintained that the absence of the phrase "real-time electronic transmission" leaves room for abuse and post-election interference.
Chanting solidarity songs and displaying placards bearing messages such as "Our votes must count," "No to electoral robbery," and "Protect democracy now," the demonstrators marched from the Federal Secretariat towards the National Assembly.
They were, however, prevented from entering the complex by heavily armed security operatives drawn from the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
The security agencies barricaded the main entrance, compelling the protesters to stage their demonstration outside the gates.
Addressing journalists at the protest ground, Obi decried what he described as the gradual erosion of democratic gains in the country, warning that credible elections remain critical to national stability and development.
"We must dismantle this criminality and prove that we are now a nation that shows light in Africa," Obi said.
His presence at the protest further energised the crowd, many of whom regard him as a symbol of the youth-led political movement that challenged Nigeria's traditional political structure during the 2023 general elections.
Also speaking, the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Dr Yunusa Tanko, said the protests would continue until the National Assembly explicitly reinstates 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 declared.
He argued that previous elections were often compromised by manual interference during result collation, noting that electronic transmission was introduced as part of reforms following the 2011 and 2015 elections to curb such practices.
Nigeria's push for electoral reforms gained momentum after the widely criticised 2007 general elections. Subsequent innovations, including the introduction of card readers in 2015 and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in 2022, were praised as steps towards transparency, despite ongoing implementation challenges.
The provision for electronic transmission of results was also a major demand of civil society organisations during deliberations on the 2022 Electoral Act, with advocates arguing that it would reduce human interference and rebuild public trust in the electoral process.
Popular activist Randy Peters, who also addressed the protesters, accused the political class of betraying democratic ideals and vowed that demonstrations would continue until their demands are met.
"Tomorrow, we will be back here until the Senate does the right thing. The June 12 struggle was about free and fair elections," he said.
Invoking the legacy of the June 12, 1993 election, widely regarded as Nigeria's freest and fairest, Peters questioned why elected officials would resist reforms designed to guarantee credible polls.
"In 2027, our votes must count. That is the most important thing. Tomorrow, they will meet us here again," he added.
Protesters Besiege NASS Over Electronic Transmission of Election Results
Protesters on Monday stormed the entrance gate of the National Assembly Complex in Abuja over the controversies that have followed the Senate's position on the electronic transmission of election results. The protesters had vowed to storm the National Assembly to push for the mandatory electronic transmission of results as part of the Electoral Act amendment in Nigeria.
This follows several reports that the upper chamber had rejected the clause for the mandatory transmission of electronic results in the ongoing amendment. However, the Senate has issued several clarifications and denied any complicity, but the protesters insist that lawmakers must be explicit by including the phrase "real-time electronic transmission" in the proposed legislation.
A heavy security presence was observed at the protest site, with personnel from the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps on the ground to maintain law and order. Recall that stakeholders, including the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), had warned that they may mobilise mass protests or push for a boycott of future elections over what is described as the Senate's contradictory stance on the amendment to the 2022 Electoral Act, particularly on the electronic transmission of election results.
Editors' Guild Expresses Concern Over Senate's Election Result Policy
On its part, the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has expressed deep concern over the controversy surrounding the Senate's position on the transmission of election results ahead of the 2026 general elections.
In a statement issued yesterday in Abuja by NGE president, Eze Anaba, and General Secretary, Onuoha Ukeh, the guild warned that the current uncertainty is creating room for doubt and mistrust in the electoral process among Nigerians.
The controversy stems from the Senate's adoption of provisions in the proposed 2022 Electoral Act that allow for the transmission of election results without making it mandatory and immediate.
The NGE noted that this position runs contrary to the widely held expectations of most Nigerians and many lawmakers.
"The resulting public outrage has pitted citizens against the Senate and could potentially discourage voter participation in future elections," the guild said.
The guild said that at a time when Nigerians are calling for mandatory and immediate transmission of election results from polling units to central collation centres--and as countries worldwide adopt electronic transmission to enhance transparency--the Senate's stance represents a missed opportunity to strengthen accountability in the electoral process.
"Globally, mandatory electronic transmission of election results has become a standard for improving electoral credibility and efficiency. Nigeria should not be an exception," the statement added.
The NGE urged the National Assembly, which is set to reconvene tomorrow, February 10, 2026, to harmonise the Senate's position with that of the House of Representatives.
The guild emphasised that approving mandatory and immediate transmission of election results from polling units to INEC central servers and collation centres would lay a solid foundation for free and fair elections and deepen Nigeria's democracy.
The statement highlighted the benefits of digitalising elections, noting that real-time transmission of results would enhance transparency, efficiency, and accuracy, while boosting voter confidence.
It would also streamline results management, reduce disputes, minimise controversies, and significantly curb electoral fraud.
"Electoral reforms, when combined with digital innovation, strengthen democratic processes and boost public trust. Making the transmission of election results mandatory and immediate is therefore critical to achieving credible elections in Nigeria," the NGE said.
The guild concluded by urging lawmakers to adopt progressive electoral practices, stressing: "Nigerians are watching the National Assembly closely on this issue. Anything short of mandatory and immediate transmission of election results will be out of step with contemporary electoral standards. Such a measure will not only enhance free and fair elections but also give Nigerians confidence that their votes truly count.
CSOs demand mandatory e-transmission of poll results
Civil society organisations (CSOs) have called on the National Assembly's harmonisation committee to adopt the House of Representatives' position on key electoral reforms, including mandatory electronic transmission of results, downloadable voter cards, and the retention of existing electoral timelines.
The organisations made the demands in Abuja yesterday while addressing a joint press conference on the ongoing harmonisation of the Electoral Bill, warning that any dilution could undermine the credibility of the 2027 general election.
The founder of TAF Africa, Jake Epelle, spoke on behalf of the other groups--the Centre for Media and Society, the Kukah Centre, International Press Centre, Elect Her, Nigerian Women Trust Fund, and Yiaga Africa.
Epelle urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue the notice of elections in line with the Electoral Act 2022, despite delays surrounding the amendment process, while faulting the Senate's decision to remove a proposed 10-year ban for offences related to the buying and selling of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
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"We call on the conference committee members to approach the harmonisation deliberations guided by national interest, institutional integrity, and democratic accountability rather than narrow partisan calculations.
"We reiterate our recommendation that the National Assembly should expeditiously conclude the amendment process and transmit the final bill to the President within two weeks," he stated.
According to the groups, the divergence between the Senate and the House of Representatives on these issues carries far-reaching implications for the integrity, transparency, and predictability of the 2027 elections.
The organisations also acknowledged the Senate's decision to convene an emergency plenary session on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, urging the senators to use the opportunity to adopt clear and unambiguous provisions that explicitly mandate real-time electronic transmission and collation of election results, approve downloadable missing and unissued voter cards, and retain existing timelines for the notice of elections, submission of candidates' lists, and publication of nominations by INEC.
They further proposed a modification to Clause 60(3) that would require designated election officials to electronically transmit all election results in real time, including the number of accredited voters, directly from polling units and collation centres to a public portal, with the transmitted results used to verify other results before collation.
The groups also criticised provisions in the Electoral Bill 2026 that restrict the activation of election result reviews to reports filed only by INEC officials, while acknowledging INEC's power to review results declared under duress or in violation of procedure.
It said that excluding political parties, candidates, agents, and observers undermines accountability, especially given documented cases from the 2023 elections in which INEC officials were found complicit in electoral malpractice.
They recommended broadening the category of persons eligible to file reports triggering a review to include parties, candidates, accredited agents, and observers present during collation.
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