Awarenessinfomedia has gathered that hundreds of protesters, led by former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, converged on the National Assembly Complex in Abuja on Monday to express their outrage over the Senate's rejection of real-time electronic transmission of election results.
The protesters, comprising student and civil society groups, members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and the Obidient Movement, demanded that lawmakers reconsider their decision, arguing that it undermines transparency and credibility in the electoral process.
The controversy surrounds Clause 60(3) of the Electoral Act amendment bill, which proposed mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Results Viewing (IReV) portal. The Senate rejected this proposal, opting to retain the existing provision allowing INEC to determine the manner of result transmission.
Addressing the protesters, Obi emphasized the need for transparency and fairness in the electoral process. "Allow the elections to go through the normal process. Whoever wins, we would accept. So, why are you bringing this confusion?" he asked.
The Senate has scheduled an emergency plenary sitting for Tuesday, February 10, to address the issue. Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has also threatened mass action over the development.
The rejection of real-time electronic transmission has sparked concerns about potential electoral manipulation and undermining of democratic processes. Civil society groups and opposition parties argue that this move could compromise the integrity of future elections.
A heavy security presence was observed around the National Assembly Complex, with personnel from the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps deployed to maintain order.
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