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

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