Electoral Act: CSO urges end to protests, defends Senate’s position on result transmission

The National Civil Society Council of Nigeria (NCSCN) has called for calm across the country, urging civil society organisations and citizens to distance themselves from the ongoing protests against the National Assembly over its rejection of a proposed amendment to allow mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results. Addressing journalists during its first State of […]

The National Civil Society Council of Nigeria (NCSCN) has called for calm across the country, urging civil society organisations and citizens to distance themselves from the ongoing protests against the National Assembly over its rejection of a proposed amendment to allow mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results.

Addressing journalists during its first State of the Nation press conference for 2026, the Council through its Executive Director, Mr. Blessing Akinlosotu, said the agitation against the Senate’s decision was based on misinformation and could overheat the polity ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Council explained that the controversy centres on a proposal to make the real-time transmission of results from polling units compulsory, a recommendation earlier considered by the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters.

According to the Council, “the subject matter is the mandatory transmission of results in real-time, which simply means compulsory upload of polling unit results to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal by presiding officers immediately votes are cast.”

It noted, however, that the Senate did not reject electronic transmission entirely, but only voted against making real-time transmission mandatory.

Quoting the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Adeyemi Adaramodu, the Council said: “Electronic transmission remains part of the law, and results will continue to be available to the public both electronically and through physical forms, ensuring verifiable records for disputes. What the Senate rejected is mandatory electronic transmission of results in real-time.”

The NCSCN explained that under the existing provisions of the Electoral Act, presiding officers are required to count votes at the polling units in the presence of party agents, record results on official forms, publicly announce the outcomes, and then transmit them electronically to collation centres.

It argued that making real-time transmission compulsory could pose challenges due to poor network coverage and cyber security concerns, especially in rural areas.

The Council cited arguments by some senators that about 30 per cent of rural communities lack reliable network coverage, while urban centres still experience glitches that could trigger disputes and undermine the credibility of elections.

The group also said the Senate later revisited the issue and adopted a modified provision requiring electronic transmission, but with a caveat that physical result forms would serve as the primary verification instrument when electronic transmission becomes impossible.

“It is important to note the use of ‘shall,’ which is almost the same as mandatory. The only difference here is the caveat of when it becomes impossible, which is understandable and necessary,” the Council said.

The NCSCN further argued that many advanced democracies, including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Japan and India, still rely on manual vote counting rather than real-time electronic transmission.

It also cited examples of countries such as Pakistan and Bangladesh, which reportedly abandoned real-time electronic transmission after disputes, and Brazil, where electronic voting has also been contested in courts.

The Council alleged that many of those behind the nationwide protests were partisan actors.

“Taking a forensic look at the major actors in the nationwide agitation and protest to the National Assembly, one would agree that they are all card-carrying members of political parties and gladiators of opposition parties,” it stated.

The Council therefore called on civil society organisations to dissociate themselves from the protests, warning against actions that could destabilise the country.

“We must collectively consolidate on the gains made so far, rather than overheating the polity and taking steps that may lead to anarchy or breakdown of law and order,” it said.