- NLC threatens mass action, election boycott over e-transmission dispute
- SERAP petitions CCB to probe alleged removal of e-transmission provisions
- Afenifere, CUPP fault Senate stance, warn of risks to electoral integrity
- Youth coalition, northern groups caution against weakening transmission reforms
- Sowore backs planned protest at N’Assembly over electoral bill
- Senate leadership rallies lawmakers ahead of decisive emergency plenary
- Harmonisation process hangs on approval of votes, proceedings
- Stakeholders warn controversy could affect credibility of 2027 polls
Ahead of the Senate’s emergency plenary scheduled for tomorrow to approve votes and proceedings on the Electoral Act amendment, labour unions, civil society groups and political organisations have intensified pressure on lawmakers over provisions relating to the electronic transmission of election results.
Critics say retaining discretionary language on result transmission weakens safeguards against manipulation and undermines electoral transparency.
They warn that failure to mandate real-time electronic uploads could erode public confidence and compromise the credibility of the 2027 general elections.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has stepped up consultations with lawmakers amid mounting tensions over alleged manipulation of provisions in the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
The sitting is expected to determine whether the Senate will formally approve the votes and proceedings from last week’s contentious plenary, a procedural step required before harmonisation with the House of Representatives can begin, and is widely seen as crucial to restoring public confidence in reforms considered central to the credibility of the 2027 general elections.
A statement issued by the Clerk of the Senate, Emmanuel Odo, confirmed that all senators have been directed to reconvene by noon for the emergency session, despite the chamber having earlier adjourned plenary until February 24.
Multiple sources within the National Assembly said the recall became necessary after the Senate adjourned last week without approving its votes and proceedings from the sitting in which the electoral bill was passed.
Without approval, the joint conference committee of both chambers cannot commence harmonising the differences between the Senate and House versions of the legislation. Also pending is the approval of the votes and proceedings relating to the Senate’s delegation to the conference committee.
Ahead of the sitting, principal officers of the Senate and influential committee chairmen are reportedly mobilising lawmakers to ensure a strong turnout and secure approval of the votes and proceedings.
The mobilisation reflects growing anxiety within the leadership over the possibility of dissent, including among members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), which controls about two-thirds of the Senate.
Although the APC enjoys numerical dominance, the controversy surrounding the electronic transmission of election results has reportedly exposed internal divisions, with some senators reportedly dissatisfied that positions discussed earlier during retreats and executive sessions were not reflected in the final outcome of plenary deliberations.
A senior APC senator, who spoke anonymously, suggested the emergency session could be tense, noting that several lawmakers believe the chamber’s will was not accurately reflected in the final decisions announced after plenary.
Fueling the controversy, the Senate minority caucus last week insisted that the chamber had actually passed provisions supporting the electronic transmission of results, contrary to reports that the reform was rejected.
The caucus, led by Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe, accused the leadership of creating confusion around the outcome of the deliberations and called for clarity on the exact provisions adopted.
Abaribe maintained that lawmakers had consistently agreed on electronic transmission of results during committee work, retreats and executive sessions, insisting that the reform was not intended to be discarded.
At the centre of the dispute is Clause 60(3) of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2026. During consideration of the legislation, the Senate rejected a proposed amendment that would have made the real-time transmission of results from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Result Viewing (IReV) portal compulsory.
Instead, lawmakers adopted the wording contained in the Electoral Act, 2022, which provides that the presiding officer shall transfer election results “in a manner as prescribed by the Commission.”
The decision followed an amendment sponsored by Senator Tahir Monguno that retained the existing clause, effectively removing the requirement for mandatory electronic transmission.
Following widespread reports that the Senate had rejected electronic transmission, Akpabio dismissed the claims as misleading, stating that electronic transmission already exists within the law and that the chamber merely retained the provision previously used in the 2022 elections. However, critics argue that the difference between optional transmission and mandatory real-time electronic upload could weaken safeguards against result manipulation.
NLC threatens mass action, election boycott
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has warned that failure to provide for real-time electronic transmission of election results ahead of next year’s general elections could trigger mass action before, during and after the polls.
The Congress also threatened a total boycott of the elections, stating that it would not stand by while the trust of Nigerians is betrayed again and the clarity of the nation’s electoral laws is compromised.
NLC President, Joe Ajaero, in a statement yesterday, expressed deep concern over what he described as confusion and contradictory narratives emerging from the Senate regarding the amendment to the 2022 Electoral Act, particularly on the electronic transmission of results.
He said the lack of clarity undermines public trust and is deeply troubling for the country’s democracy, stressing that Nigerians deserve a transparent electoral process in which their votes are not only counted but seen to be counted.
Ajaero urged the Senate to provide an immediate, official and unambiguous account of its proceedings and final decisions.
Recalling developments during the 2023 elections, where public records suggested that the proposed amendment mandating the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to transmit results electronically in real time was not adopted, he said the NLC demands immediate clarity and transparency.
He added that the Senate must issue a definitive statement on the exact provisions passed, clarifying the final wording and rationale, while the National Assembly leadership should ensure that the harmonisation process produces a final bill with clear provisions.
According to him, any ambiguity in the transmission and collation of results would be a disservice to the country’s democracy, urging the Senate to restore legislative credibility by ensuring that its processes are transparent and its outcomes clear.
The NLC also insisted that the amended Act must provide an unambiguous mandate for INEC to electronically transmit and collate results from polling units in real time, noting that the path to the 2027 elections must be built on certainty, not confusion.
Ajaero said: “Failure to add electronic transmission in real-time will lead to mass action before, during, and after the election or total boycott of the Election. Our nation must choose the path of clarity and integrity. We need to avoid the same confusion that trailed the new Tax Acts. The time for honest, people-focused legislation is now.”
Afenifere condemns Senate’s rejection of e-transmission of results
Also, the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, condemned the Senate’s passage of the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Re-enactment) Amendment Bill 2026, describing lawmakers’ rejection of mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results as undemocratic, self-serving and a threat to Nigeria’s multiparty democracy.
In a statement signed by its leader, Oba Oladipo Olaitan, and its National Publicity Secretary, Prince Justice Faloye, the group expressed strong reservations over the Senate’s decision on February 4, 2026, to jettison key amendments earlier approved by the House of Representatives in December 2025.
The rejected provisions include compulsory electronic transmission of results from polling units, digital voter identification and the proposal to retain the 360-day notice period for elections.
Afenifere also criticised the Senate’s decision to cut the election notice period to 180 days, warning that the changes collectively prioritise political incumbency over electoral integrity and could pave the way for a de facto one-party state.
According to the organisation, the refusal to make electronic transmission mandatory represents a “betrayal of constitutionalism” and a deliberate attempt to preserve manual processes that have historically enabled electoral manipulation.
The group noted that while the Senate argued that electronic transmission remains permissible under existing law, the failure to codify it as a legal requirement leaves room for selective compliance, administrative loopholes and post-election disputes.
“Afenifere is astounded that the Senate chose to retain discretionary language empowering the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to merely ‘prescribe the manner’ of result transmission,” the statement said, adding that such discretion has, in the past, been exploited to undermine credible elections.
The organisation further argued that the Senate’s action contradicts the spirit of the 1999 Constitution, particularly Section 78, which empowers the National Assembly to enact laws that guarantee credible elections. It also faulted the rejection of amendments to Clause 60(3), which would have compelled INEC to transmit results electronically from polling units to the IReV portal in real time.
Afenifere opposed the Senate’s refusal to approve downloadable electronic voter cards with QR codes, insisting that continued reliance on physical Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) could disenfranchise eligible voters who lose or damage their cards while ignoring global advances in digital identification.
CUPP faults Senate stance on e-transmission of election results
In the same vein, the Conference of United Political Parties (CUPP) criticised the Senate’s decision to reject mandatory electronic transmission of election results, describing it as a major setback for Nigeria’s democratic process.
National Secretary of CUPP, Peter Ameh, expressed concern over the Senate’s passage of the Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal and Enactment) Bill, 2025, stating that the amendments largely preserve the status quo and fall short of the reforms needed to guarantee electoral integrity.
According to Ameh, while lawmakers introduced minor changes, including reducing the publication period for election notices from 360 to 180 days, they deliberately avoided addressing fundamental issues that could strengthen transparency and public confidence in elections.
“The most damaging aspect of the amendment is the Senate’s refusal to adopt the provision mandating real-time electronic transmission of polling unit results to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Result Viewing (IReV) portal,” Ameh said.
Ameh, a former National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), noted that by rejecting the proposed Clause 60(5) and retaining the discretionary provision of the 2022 Act, where result transmission is carried out only “in a manner as prescribed by the Commission”, the Senate has sustained loopholes that have undermined previous elections.
He argued that without compulsory electronic upload of results immediately after Form EC8A is signed and countersigned at polling units, the electoral process remains vulnerable to manual interference, result alteration and manipulation at collation centres.
“The vulnerabilities that have repeatedly eroded public trust in the electoral process remain firmly intact,” he said.
Ameh also criticised the continued reliance on physical Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for accreditation despite the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), describing it as a reluctance to fully embrace technology-driven safeguards.
He warned that the Senate’s decision sends a discouraging message to Nigerian youths, who represent the largest voting demographic but are increasingly disillusioned by repeated electoral irregularities and unfulfilled reform promises.
“Rather than inspire confidence and participation, this action reinforces apathy and disengagement, weakening democracy at its foundation,” he stated.
Describing the rejection of mandatory electronic transmission as deliberate, Ameh alleged that it leaves room for result manipulation, ballot stuffing at collation centres and other forms of electoral malpractice.
He added that civil society groups, international observers and ordinary Nigerians had only demanded what he described as the minimum standard of modern electoral integrity—compulsory electronic upload of results to ensure transparency and trust.
SERAP petitions CCB
For its part, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) urged the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) to promptly investigate the conduct of senators allegedly involved in removing provisions on electronic transmission of election results from the Electoral Act amendment bill during plenary proceedings.
In a petition addressed to the Chairman of the Bureau, Dr Abdullahi Usman Bello, the organisation called for an immediate and effective probe into the alleged action, which it said occurred after a majority of senators reportedly voted in favour of including the provisions, without any debate on the proposed removal.
SERAP also asked the Bureau to investigate members of the National Assembly and officers of the executive branch who allegedly altered the Tax Reform Bills, resulting in reported discrepancies between the harmonised versions passed by the National Assembly and the copies later signed into law and gazetted by the Federal Government.
The petition, signed at the weekend by SERAP Deputy Director, Mr Kolawole Oluwadare, stated that the allegations raise serious concerns about conflict of interest, abuse of office, non-disclosure of interests, lack of due process and erosion of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers in the exercise of legislative authority.
According to the organisation, the petition was submitted pursuant to paragraphs 1 and 9 of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers contained in the Fifth Schedule, Part 1 of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended), as well as sections 5 and 13 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act.
SERAP argued that lawmaking ceases to be a legitimate constitutional exercise when it is shaped by abuse of office or conflicts of interest, noting that such conduct would amount to legal and ethical infractions prohibited under the Code of Conduct for Public Officers.
It alleged that the processes leading to the passage of the Electoral Act amendment bill in the Senate and the signing into law of the Tax Reform Bills were marked by alterations to bill provisions without debate and due process, as well as changes to already passed tax reform legislation without the approval of the National Assembly.
Ezekwesili warns National Assembly
Founder of the School of Politics, Policy and Governance, Obiageli Ezekwesili, cautioned the Senate and the House of Representatives against policies and actions she said run contrary to the mandate given to lawmakers by the electorate.
In a statement issued yesterday, the former World Bank vice president warned federal legislators to “stop playing with fire,” urging them to act in line with the expectations of their constituents and safeguard national stability.
According to her, the most important counsel the National Assembly can receive from well-meaning Nigerians is to recognise when its actions undermine public trust and confidence in democratic institutions. She said many Nigerians increasingly perceive the Senate as a declining institution marked by repeated betrayals of public confidence.
Ezekwesili accused lawmakers of frequently placing personal and partisan interests above the welfare of citizens, citing the blocking or dilution of key reforms, including electoral and anti-corruption bills, as well as what she described as inflated legislative budgets and the confirmation of unqualified nominees for political considerations.
She particularly criticised the Senate’s recent vote against a proposed amendment seeking to make electronic transmission of election results mandatory in the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, accusing the chamber of attempting to mislead Nigerians by claiming it did not reject electronic transmission.
Describing the Senate’s position as disingenuous, she said lawmakers deliberately retained provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 that allow election results to be transmitted “in a manner as prescribed by the Commission,” thereby leaving the method and timing of transmission at the discretion of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“For a moment, let us dispense with euphemisms and doublespeak. What the senators did … was to preserve vague language that leaves the method and timing of transmitting results entirely at the discretion of INEC,” she said.
Ezekwesili argued that the decision amounted to what she called a deliberate “weaponisation of ambiguity” in Nigeria’s electoral law, noting that similar provisions contributed to controversies that eroded public trust during the 2023 general elections.
She warned that retaining such ambiguity could heighten political tensions and urged lawmakers to heed widespread public opposition to their decision. As a corrective step, she called on the Senate to cancel its announced recess, reconvene immediately and pass a clear and mandatory provision requiring real-time electronic transmission of election results from polling units to the INEC Result Viewing Portal.
Youth coalition faults Senate
The youth-led electoral reform coalition, the Youth-led Electoral Reform Project (YERP-Naija) Consortium, expressed disappointment over the Senate’s rejection of an amendment seeking to make real-time electronic transmission of election results from polling units mandatory.
The group said the decision, taken during plenary on February 4 when the Electoral Act Amendment Bill was passed at third reading, retained the existing provision allowing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to determine administratively how election results are transmitted rather than creating a clear legal obligation.
In a statement issued yesterday and jointly signed by leaders of partner organisations across the six geopolitical zones, the consortium said the rejected amendment would have required presiding officers to electronically transmit results from polling units immediately after voting and collation, a measure it said would strengthen transparency and public trust in elections.
According to the coalition, leaving the process to administrative discretion weakens statutory certainty and limits safeguards needed to improve confidence in electoral outcomes, particularly among young voters.
However, the group noted that the legislative process is not yet concluded, pointing to the forthcoming harmonisation of the bill by the conference committee of the National Assembly as an opportunity to revisit the issue and align the final legislation with broader stakeholder expectations.
The consortium urged members of the harmonisation committee to reconcile differences between the Senate and the House of Representatives and restore provisions reflecting widespread stakeholder demand for stronger transparency measures ahead of the 2027 general elections.
CNG warns against moves to weaken electronic transmission of election results
The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) warned against any attempt to weaken the electronic transmission of election results ahead of the 2027 general elections, describing the reform as critical to the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process.
In a statement issued yesterday by its National Coordinator, Comrade Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi, the coalition expressed concern over what it described as growing efforts by some political actors to dilute or frustrate the full implementation of electronic result transmission.
Charanchi said Nigeria’s electoral challenges over the years have largely stemmed from alleged manipulation at the collation stage, where results are altered and the will of voters subverted. He argued that electronic transmission directly addresses this weakness by ensuring that results transmitted from polling units cannot be tampered with by politicians, compromised officials or other vested interests.
“We state clearly … electronic transmission of results is not optional … it is the lifeblood of credible elections and the last line of defence between democracy and organised electoral robbery,” he said.
According to the coalition, resistance to the reform could deepen public distrust in the electoral system and increase the risk of post-election violence and legitimacy crises, warning that disputed elections have historically undermined national stability.
Sowore backs planned protest at National Assembly over e-transmission controversy
Human rights activist and founder of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, expressed support for a planned protest at the National Assembly in Abuja over the reported removal of provisions mandating electronic transmission of election results.
Writing on X yesterday, Mr Sowore said the demonstration, organised by the National Opposition Movement, is scheduled to take place tomorrow and is intended to oppose what organisers described as attempts to weaken electoral transparency.
According to him, the protest is aimed at challenging the Senate’s handling of the Electoral Act amendment and pressing lawmakers to reconsider their position on electronic transmission of results.
Sowore wrote: “The National Opposition Movement will be embarking on a protest tomorrow at the National Assembly in Abuja against the removal of electronic transmission of election results, a move clearly designed to rig future elections and undermine the will of the Nigerian people.
“This protest is aimed at forcing the hand of the Senate, led by Godswill Akpabio, which has chosen to serve as an extension of executive lawlessness rather than defend democracy.
“We fully endorse this protest and urge Nigerians across the country to join, mobilise in large numbers, and show overwhelming support for #OccupyNASS.”
The Guardian
