Nigeria's National Assembly has been the site of intense protests and widespread condemnation following the Senate's controversial handling of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill. At the heart of the dispute is the alleged rejection or removal of a crucial provision mandating the real-time electronic transmission of election results from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Result Viewing Portal (IReV).

The controversy stems from a recent Senate plenary where lawmakers reportedly rejected an amendment to Clause 60, Subsection 3, of the Electoral Amendment Bill. This proposed amendment would have compelled presiding officers to electronically transmit results from each polling unit to the IReV portal in real-time, immediately after Form EC8A (used to record political party votes) had been duly signed and stamped. Instead, the Senate resolved to retain Section 60(5) of the existing Electoral Act 2022, which states that the presiding officer "shall transfer the results... in a manner as prescribed by the Commission," effectively making electronic transmission discretionary rather than mandatory and real-time.

This decision has drawn severe criticism from a broad spectrum of Nigerian society, including civil society organizations, human rights activists, pressure groups, opposition political parties, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). Protesters argue that removing the real-time mandate undermines transparency, erodes public confidence in future elections, and creates fertile ground for manipulation during result collation. NLC President Joe Ajaero lamented the "confusion and contradictory narratives" from the Senate, emphasizing that "any ambiguity in the transmission and collation of results is a disservice to our democracy." The NBA also urged the National Assembly to vote in favour of mandatory electronic transmission.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio initially denied claims that the Senate had removed electronic transmission from the proposed amendment, insisting that existing provisions were retained. However, amid mounting pressure, he later admitted that lawmakers deliberately removed the phrase "real-time" during the clause-by-clause consideration of the bill. Akpabio explained that this decision was made due to concerns that enforcing real-time transmission could lead to legal disputes in the event of network failures during elections, while maintaining that electronic transmission remains permissible under the law.

The protests saw thousands besiege the National Assembly complex, led by prominent figures such as former presidential candidate Peter Obi of the Labour Party, activist Aisha Yesufu, and Omoyele Sowore. Demonstrators, including members of the Obidient Movement, student groups, and civil society organizations, brandished placards with inscriptions like "Make electronic transmission of election results mandatory," "Defend democracy," and "Akpabio don’t destroy our democracy." Security operatives were heavily deployed around the complex to maintain order as protesters chanted slogans, demanding clarity and integrity in the electoral process.

During the protests, Peter Obi urged lawmakers to reconsider their amendment, warning that Nigeria had suffered enough from flawed elections. Aisha Yesufu went further, calling for Akpabio's impeachment if the Senate failed to prioritize the wishes of the masses. The NLC threatened "mass action" or a "total boycott of the election" if real-time electronic transmission is not implemented. The National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, vowed that protests would continue until the National Assembly explicitly restores real-time electronic transmission, stating, "If there is no electronic transmission of results, there will be no election."

The widespread apprehension and demands for unambiguous provisions regarding election results transmission prompted the Senate to schedule an emergency plenary sitting. The public and various advocacy groups continue to exert pressure on lawmakers to ensure the final Electoral Act Amendment Bill clearly enshrines mandatory, real-time electronic transmission of results, which they view as critical to safeguarding Nigeria’s electoral system and restoring public trust.