Protesters Demand Mandatory Real-Time Electronic Transmission of Election Results in New Electoral Act

Protesters returned to Nigeria’s National Assembly in Abuja on Monday, February 16, 2026, rallying for a mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results to be enshrined in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, 2026.

Led by civil society organisations and election transparency advocates, the demonstration targeted the retention of manual collation as an option during election result compilation.

The protesters argue that allowing manual backups introduces room for interference and disputes, particularly during critical aggregation points.

They insist that Nigeria, with its existing election logistics and technology, is fully capable of implementing digital transmission and should eliminate the manual alternative entirely.

Key among the protesting groups were the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, which monitors elections and governance, and ActionAid Nigeria, an international human rights organisation.

Nigerian activist Peter Randyz was one of the prominent voices at the protest.
Despite the fervent calls for change, security personnel restricted access to the National Assembly complex, blocking entry points and forcing protesters to demonstrate outside the gates.

This demonstration follows ongoing debates within the Senate, which has been revisiting the contentious provisions in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.

On February 10, 2026, the Senate held an emergency session to discuss Clause 60(3), which addresses the transmission and management of election results.

During the sitting, Senator Tahir Monguno, the Senate Chief Whip from Borno North, proposed removing the term “real-time” from the clause and replacing “transmission” with “transfer.”

This proposal sparked objections from lawmakers like Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), who voiced concerns about the potential setbacks for electoral transparency.

In the end, the Senate approved electronic transmission to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing Portal (IReV) but chose to retain manual collation as a backup option in case of technical failure.

Protesters, however, rejected this compromise, arguing that it undermines the call for full transparency and real-time transmission.

With the Senate scheduled to reconvene on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at 11:00 AM (WAT), the pressure from civil society groups is set to continue as they push for a law that guarantees real-time digital transmission without any fallback on manual methods.