Dozens of protesters on Monday gathered at the entrance of the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, demanding firm legislative backing for the mandatory electronic transmission of election results as debates over amendments to the Electoral Act continue.
The demonstrators said they mobilised in response to reports that the Senate rejected a proposal to make real-time electronic transmission of results compulsory.
Although the Senate has since issued statements suggesting its position has been misunderstood, the protesters argued that only a clearly worded legal provision would eliminate ambiguity and prevent manipulation of election outcomes.
Chanting pro-democracy slogans and holding placards with inscriptions such as “Protect Our Votes” and “No Democracy Without E-Transmission,” the group insisted that the law must expressly contain the phrase “real-time electronic transmission of results.”
According to them, anything short of that leaves room for discretion that could undermine electoral transparency.
“We are here to defend the integrity of our votes,” one of the organisers told journalists at the scene. “If electronic transmission is not made mandatory in clear terms, the gains recorded in recent elections could be reversed.”
Security was visibly tightened around the complex, with operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps deployed to maintain order and restrict access to sensitive areas. The protest, however, remained peaceful as of the time of filing this report.
The controversy stems from ongoing deliberations on proposed changes to the Electoral Act, with civil society groups, labour organisations, and election observers calling for stronger legal guarantees for technology-driven result management.
Observers say the issue of electronic transmission has become a focal point in Nigeria’s electoral reform debate, seen by many as critical to boosting public trust in the electoral process ahead of future polls.