PROTESTERS today assembled at the entrance of the National Assembly complex in Abuja as part of the “Occupy National Assembly” demonstration, protesting the Senate’s stance on the electronic transmission of election results.
The protest attracted a strong security presence, with personnel deployed from the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
Members of civil society organisations, some women’s groups, and a small number of supporters of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) were among those present.
Although the Senate has issued clarifications denying that it rejected electronic transmission of results, protesters insist that lawmakers must clearly include the phrase “real-time electronic transmission” in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
Police barricaded the entrance to the National Assembly, while protesters marched from the Federal Secretariat towards the gate, maintaining that they had no intention of entering the premises.
Public outrage followed the Senate’s passage of the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Reenactment) Amendment Bill 2026 through its third reading last week.
Lawmakers declined to approve an amendment to Clause 60(3) that would have made electronic transmission of results mandatory in real time.
Instead, the Senate retained the existing provision allowing results to be transmitted in a manner determined by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has defended the decision, stating that the Senate did not oppose electronic transmission but removed the phrase “real time” to avoid legal and technical complications in areas affected by network or security challenges.
He said the change was intended to give INEC the flexibility to decide how results are transmitted.
Reacting to the controversy, former Senate President David Mark said the National Assembly should allow INEC to independently determine whether to transmit results electronically, noting that the ADC supports electronic transmission.
Meanwhile, the Senate has announced an emergency plenary session scheduled for tomorrow, February 10, 2026, amid continued debates over the amended Electoral Act and the transmission of election results.