Civil Society Groups Protest at National Assembly Over Electoral Act Amendment

Civil society organisations on Tuesday resumed protests at the National Assembly, calling on lawmakers to make real-time electronic transmission of election results compulsory in the proposed amendment to the Electoral Act.
The demonstrators, drawn from several civic groups and concerned citizens, said automatic electronic transmission of results from polling units is crucial for transparency and to prevent manipulation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The protest follows a recent controversy in the Senate over Clause 60(3) of the amendment bill, which addresses the transmission and collation of election results. While senators approved electronic transmission to the electoral commission’s result viewing portal, they also retained manual collation as a backup in the event of technical failures—a decision that has attracted public criticism.
Speaking to journalists, founder of TAF Africa, Jake Epelle, insisted that the law must clearly mandate real-time electronic transmission to rebuild public confidence in the electoral process.
Also speaking, the Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria, Andrew Mamedu, urged lawmakers to adopt the House of Representatives’ version of the bill.
The protesters, however, vowed to continue their demonstrations until their demands are reflected in the final version of the amendment.