The ActionAid Nigeria (AAN) and several other notable civil society organisations (CSOs) on Monday and Tuesday lead massive protest of hundreds of Nigerians to the National Assembly in Abuja, demanding the inclusion of real-time electronic transmission of election results in the ongoing amendment of the Electoral Act.
The protest, which took place at the entrance of the National Assembly complex, drew supporters from the CSOs, pro-democracy activists and others demanding the will of Nigerians take precedent above the lawmakers and politicians personal and political preferences.
The coalition was organised under the banner of the Movement for Credible Elections and tagged “Occupy NASS”.
During the protest former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate and 2027 hopeful, Peter Obi, later on joined the protest alongside members of the Obidient Movement led by its Coordinator worldwide, Dr, Yunusa Tanko.
The protest follows the Senate’s recent passage of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, which retained existing provisions on result transmission but removed explicit reference to “real-time” electronic transmission—an action that has sparked criticism from opposition figures and civil society groups.
Protesters insisted that lawmakers must go beyond general language and clearly state that election results should be transmitted electronically and in real time from polling units to prevent manipulation.
Security was heavily reinforced as officers of the Nigeria Police Force, supported by the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and other paramilitary agencies, Departement of State Services (DSS) barricaded the entrance to the National Assembly and preventing the protesters from gaining entrance.
Speaking during the protest, the Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria (AAN), Andrew Mamedu, said that the next line of action if the National Assembly did not agree to what Nigerians demand as their representative, would be more protest and citizens’ action till the lawmakers do the right thing.
“We will keep demanding, we keep pushing. If actually they are representing us, they will hear us and if they don’t hear us, we keep asking, we keep demanding. This is citizen’s action. We’ll think of other measures that are legal, that are within our constitution and we’ll pursue all of that. Nigerians, majority of Nigerians cannot be wrong, that’s one. The House of Representatives plus Nigerians cannot be wrong.
“The minority senators in the Senate plus the house of rep plus Nigerians cannot be wrong. So, the few senators or the senators that are pushing this agenda, they cannot be wiser than the larger population of Nigerians that are pushing for real-time electronic transmission of results. It’s simple, you have four years to rule, to govern, to make laws that governs us, right? You have four years and we allow that to happen, our citizens.
“But you, in turn, you must now give the power of the people to decide who governs them, to choose who governs them. And one of the ways of doing that is our election. The ways of doing that, the major way of doing that is our election.
“And if our election says that I vote, my vote should count. And if my vote should count, what I vote in the polling unit should be what is collated at the collation center. And if there’s, there are hanky-panky along the way between where my vote is casted to when it’s collated, then let’s solve it.
“And that’s what we are pushing here, that’s the whole message here. It’s not rocket science because the excuses that we are given that we do not have coverage is not true, is not true, is not true. Yes, we don’t have coverage in all our community,” Mamedu said.
He also said that the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), came out and said it is possible for the IREV; that the IREV has the capacity to do it, to take the information, snap the picture, upload it, and the memory keeps it.
“But once it gets close to anywhere there’s network, it transmits automatically. And that’s what the law says. So real-time transmission means that once you upload it into IREV, it’s been transmitted and you cannot withdraw of tamper with it.
“That’s how the technology has been built. INEC is also saying that it’s possible. So, if INEC is saying it’s possible, engineers, the Nigerian Society of Engineers are saying it’s possible, why are non-experts in the Senate saying that it’s not possible? Please let us follow what Nigerians are saying,” Mamedu added.
Also speaking the Executive Director of the Inclusive Fried Association (IFA), Mrs Grace Jerry, who lead dozens of persons with disability (PWDs) at the protest said that as civil society organization and a representative organization for people with disabilities, it is important for the lawmakers to listen the yearnings of Nigeria’s whose interests they were supposed to be representing.
“Two things we are demanding for. Beyond passing the bill, we are calling on the real-time electronic transmission of results on election day. Secondly, to allow citizens, especially people with disabilities, to be able to print their voter card online.
“That will enable persons with disabilities and other citizens who cannot go and collect their previous year and queue for a long time to be able to print it and enable them to vote. Thank you very much.” Jerry said.
At a media conference afterwards, a coalition of CSOs, including Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO), The Kukah Centre, International Press Centre (IPC), Elect Her, Nigerian Women Trust Fund, TAF Africa, and Yiaga Africa, asked the National Assembly, particularly the Senate to take appropriate action on some sections of the 2025 Electoral Bill, especially the sections that deal with electronic transmission of election results from the polling unit to a dedicated server for transparency and accountability.
Ambassador Jake Epelle, the Chief Executive Officer of TAF Africa, said that the CSOs are deeply concerned with the Senate’s rejection of electronic transmission of election results, as well as the use of downloaded missing or unissued voter cards for elections, and the shortening of critical electoral timelines.
Epelle also noted that the Senate removed the proposed 10-year ban for offences related to the buying and selling of Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs), stressing that the divergence between the Senate and the House of Representatives on the amendments has profound implications for the integrity of the 2027 general elections.
The Yiaga Africa’s Director of Programmes, Ms. Cynthia Mbamalu, also expressed concern over what she described as legislative backsliding.
“It is unfair that the Senate wants to take us back on an issue we had addressed in the last reform process. The commission has told us previously that it has the infrastructure to do that,” she said.
The Senate is currently undergoing an emergency plenary to address the issue.
Discover more from TheTimes Nigeria
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
