Civil Society Storms National Assembly, Demands Mandatory Real-Time Election Result Transmission

By: Michael Mike

Civil society groups intensified pressure on the National Assembly on Tuesday, staging a second day of protests demanding that the proposed Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2026 enshrine mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The demonstrations, spearheaded by ActionAid Nigeria alongside other civic organisations, come amid concerns that the Senate version of the bill dilutes provisions for e-transmission, in contrast to the House of Representatives’ version, which civil society groups have endorsed.

Addressing the crowd, Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria, Andrew Mamedu,, stressed that the demand was absolute. “Real-time electronic transmission of results. Mandatory. Without any condition,” warning that manipulation often occurs at the transmission stage, undermining the credibility of elections.

Mamedu cited India as a global example, highlighting that even with nearly one billion registered voters and limited network coverage, the country successfully implements electronic voting and results transmission — a model Nigeria can emulate. He urged citizens to hold senators and representatives accountable for supporting the mandatory provision.

Convener of Lawyers in Defence of Democracy and Human Rights, Okere Nnamdi, described the protest as a “people’s parliament” rallying behind the House version of the bill. He called on the harmonisation committee of both chambers to adopt the House proposal in full.

Nnamdi warned of legal challenges if the final version falls short, stating, “If anything less than the House of Representatives version is endorsed and signed into law, there will be over 1,000 public interest litigations challenging the 2026 electoral bill.”

On his part, the CEO of TAF Africa Jake Epelle, representing persons with disabilities, reinforced the argument, insisting that credible elections are impossible without real-time result transmission. “No real-time transmission, no credible election. Enough is enough,” he said, pledging continued civic action until the law guarantees electoral integrity.

Protesters emphasised that mandatory e-transmission would enhance transparency, level the playing field for all political actors, and restore public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral system. They vowed to maintain sustained pressure on lawmakers as the National Assembly works to harmonise the Senate and House versions of the amendment bill.

The demonstrations signal a growing civic insistence that Nigeria’s electoral reforms must prioritise technology-driven transparency to safeguard democracy and reflect the genuine will of the people.

Civil Society Storms National Assembly, Demands Mandatory Real-Time Election Result Transmission

Chairman of hunters killed in checkpoint attack in Kwara

By: Zagazola Makama

Mohammed Ndajeba, Chairman of Hunters in Gbugbu, Kwara state has been killed following an attack on a military and Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) checkpoint along the Gbugbu–Garin Daji Road.

Security sources said Ndajeba was reported missing after the incident, prompting a joint search operation by army troops, police and local vigilantes to locate him.

The search team later discovered his body in a nearby bush at about 6:30 p.m. on the same day. The remains were released to his family for burial in accordance with Islamic rites.

Authorities said investigation into the incident was ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the attack and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Chairman of hunters killed in checkpoint attack in Kwara

Troops foil ambush attempt, recover supplies linked to terrorists in Borno

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of the Joint Task Force North East under Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), as part of Operation Desert Sanity V, have foiled an attempted ambush by suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists along the Bulayobe–Darel Jamel axis in Borno.

Security sources disclosed that the incident occurred at about 5:35 a.m. on Feb. 13 when troops, in conjunction with Civilian Joint Task Force volunteers, were on night ambush duty at Papa 4, approximately 4.1 kilometres from the Forward Operating Base.

The troops reportedly sighted elements of Boko Haram attempting to cross the Main Supply Route from the Cameroon axis toward the Nigerian axis.

On sighting the insurgents, the troops engaged them with heavy gunfire, forcing the terrorists to flee in disarray.

During exploitation of the area, troops recovered two sacks bearing inscriptions with phone numbers and names of alleged senders and receivers.

According to the sources, one of the sacks was marked with a sender’s details traced to Kano, while the receiver’s contact was traced to Maiduguri.

Items recovered from the sacks include 28 scarves, 10 Kampala materials, three praying mats, three copies of the Qur’an and other religious books, four cashmere materials, 40 bicycle parts, one sewing machine, one machine oil, one measuring tape and screwdriver, three eye drops, and four packs of ampicillin medication.

Further exploitation of the area yielded no additional items.

Military sources said troops have continued to maintain an aggressive posture, heightening surveillance and vigilance to deny terrorists freedom of action within their area of responsibility.

They added that the general situation within the area remains under control, while troops’ morale and fighting efficiency remain satisfactory.

Troops foil ambush attempt, recover supplies linked to terrorists in Borno