Dozens of protesters on Tuesday continued demonstrating at the National Assembly gate ahead of the House of Representatives’ plenary session to deliberate on electoral matters.
The protesters, under the aegis of the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, are insisting that lawmakers make real-time electronic transmission of results mandatory in the amended Electoral Act.
Carrying placards bearing inscriptions such as “Don’t alter the bill, pass it”, “Make electronic transmission mandatory now”, and chanting “We no go gree o, Akpabio, we no go gree”, the protesters urged the House to retain its position on compulsory real-time transmission of election results.
The Senate had approved electronic transmission of results to INEC’s Result Viewing Portal but retained manual collation as a backup in the event of technical failure. The House, however, endorsed real-time transmission.
Protesters are insisting that the House version be adopted in the harmonised bill and have vowed not to relent until full electronic transmission is guaranteed in law.
Speaking to journalists, Celestine Udoh, Head of Programmes at ActionAid Nigeria, argued that manual transmission undermines transparency. He said the group would continue to press its demands until lawmakers respond.
Addressing concerns over technological limitations, Udoh dismissed claims that network coverage gaps make real-time transmission impracticable. He cited a study conducted during the 2023 general election which, he said, showed that 98 percent of the country had network coverage.
According to him, the remaining 2 percent, estimated at about 3,000 polling units out of roughly 176,000 nationwide, should not justify abandoning electronic transmission.
“The question should be how to address those uncovered areas, not to remove the provision entirely,” he said.
He added that the Independent National Electoral Commission could partner with telecommunications providers to extend coverage and deploy backup systems where necessary. “If we can provide generators and other infrastructure nationwide, why can’t we ensure network access in those areas?” he queried.
Udoh further urged politicians to clarify their objections to mandatory electronic transmission, suggesting that transparency in the electoral process should not be compromised.
