Peter Obi Joins Protest at National Assembly Over E-Transmission of Election Results

Former presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, on Monday joined protesters at the National Assembly, Abuja, to oppose the Senate’s alleged rejection of electronic transmission of election results in the ongoing amendment of the Electoral Act.

The protesters, drawn from civil society organisations, human rights groups, pressure groups and opposition political parties, carried placards with inscriptions such as “Make electronic transmission of election results mandatory,” “Defend democracy,” and “Take legislative action on Electoral Act amendment.”

The protest comes amid growing controversy surrounding the Senate’s handling of amendments to the 2022 Electoral Act, particularly provisions relating to the electronic transmission of results.

On Sunday, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) expressed concern over what it described as conflicting and confusing narratives from the Senate on the issue. In a statement, NLC President, Mr. Joe Ajaero, said available records suggest that a proposed amendment mandating the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to transmit election results electronically in real time was not adopted.

According to him, the Senate allegedly retained the existing provision, which grants INEC discretionary powers on the mode of transmitting results. The rejected proposal would have required presiding officers to upload polling unit results in real time to the INEC Result Viewing (IREV) portal immediately after the completion and endorsement of Form EC8A.

“This development has generated nationwide apprehension, and subsequent explanations have only deepened the confusion,” Ajaero said.

He urged the leadership of the National Assembly to ensure that the harmonisation process produces a final bill with clear and unambiguous provisions, warning that any uncertainty in the transmission and collation of election results undermines democracy.

Ajaero further warned that failure to make electronic transmission mandatory could lead to mass action or a possible boycott of elections. “Nigerian workers and citizens are watching closely. Our nation must choose clarity and integrity in legislation,” he added.

Similarly, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has called on the National Assembly to approve the amendment to Clause 60(3) of the Electoral Amendment Bill, which seeks to compel electronic transmission of election results. The call followed deliberations at the NBA National Executive Council meeting held in Maiduguri, Borno State, on February 5, 2026.

However, the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has dismissed claims that the Senate removed electronic transmission of results from the bill. Speaking in Abuja at the unveiling of a book titled “The Burden of Legislators in Nigeria” by former Senator Effiong Bob, Akpabio said electronic transmission remains permissible under the law.

He explained that the only change made by the Senate was the removal of the phrase “real time,” stressing that no legally recognised method of result transmission was abolished.

“I must state clearly, without ambiguity, that the Senate has not removed any means of transmission,” Akpabio said.