Occupy National Assembly Protest Over E-Transmission Of Election Results Begins In Abuja
A determined crowd of protesters has converged on the gates of the National Assembly in Abuja, launching what organisers are calling the “Occupy National Assembly” campaign. Their rally cry is simple and powerful: mandate real-time electronic transmission of election results in law to safeguard Nigeria’s democracy.
By mid-morning, hundreds of demonstrators — mostly youths, civil society activists and women’s groups — had filled the approach to the legislature, brandishing placards urging transparency, credibility and accountability in the nation’s electoral system. A heavy security presence, including the Nigeria Police Force, Army and Civil Defence Corps, kept watch, barricading the National Assembly entrance to prevent any breach.
Among the crowd was Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate now aligned with the African Democratic Congress (ADC). His appearance injected fresh energy into the protest and underscored its political weight. Obi told journalists that the Senate’s handling of the electoral reform bill risked repeating the glitches and confusion that marred the 2023 elections. He insisted the law must explicitly require electronic transmission in real time — not leave it to vague interpretation.
Why It Matters
The demonstration is a direct response to last week’s passage of the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Re-enactment) Amendment Bill 2026 by the Senate. While lawmakers cleared the bill’s third reading, they rejected a proposed amendment that would have made real-time electronic transmission of results compulsory. Instead, the Senate retained the older wording of the Electoral Act 2022, which allows presiding officers discretion in how results are transmitted.
Critics argue this weakens transparency and leaves room for the kind of post-poll manipulation that has long dogged Nigerian elections. Supporters of reform want results sent electronically from every polling unit to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Results Viewing portal (IReV) as soon as they are signed off by officials — a process they say assures voters that their ballots have been counted and reported honestly.
Senate: Not a Rejection, but a Clarification?
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has sought to calm tensions by stressing that electronic transmission was not entirely discarded. He explained that lawmakers removed the term “real time” to avoid legal complications if network or grid failures occur — a practical concern in parts of Nigeria where connectivity is unreliable. The Senate believes giving the INEC the flexibility to determine the best transmission method protects the electoral process from unintended technical pitfalls.
Former Senate President David Mark, now ADC national chairman, has backed calls for transparency, saying the National Assembly should let INEC decide how best to transmit results, rather than pre-empting technical decisions on behalf of the commission.
Public Reaction and Wider Pressure
The protest has resonated beyond the assembly gates. Civil liberties groups like the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) have backed peaceful demonstrations, condemning what they see as an unfair rejection of mandatory real-time transmission. Meanwhile, labour unions have warned of broader unrest if electoral reforms remain ambiguous, arguing that Nigerians deserve clarity and integrity in the foundation of their democratic process.
What Happens Next
Against this backdrop, the Senate has called an emergency plenary session for Tuesday, 10 February 2026, though lawmakers have not publicly linked it to the protests. Still, political analysts say the timing suggests pressure from public opinion and civic action might force a more definitive statement from the legislature on the contentious issue.
For now, thousands of Nigerians — from activists to everyday citizens — are watching closely, firm in their belief that how votes are transmitted could be as consequential as how they are cast.
