‘Occupy NASS’: Activists, NLC mobilise for nationwide protest over Senate’s rejection of mandatory e-transmission

A coalition of political activists and elder statesmen under the banner of the Movement for Credible Elections (MCE) has announced plans for an “Occupy NASS” protest in Abuja, condemning the Senate’s decision to exclude mandatory electronic transmission of results from the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2026.

In a statement on Saturday signed by its Media Coordinator, James Ezema, the group described the Senate’s action as a calculated move that could enable electoral fraud ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“The action of the lawmakers is considered by MCE as a direct assault on the right of Nigerians to freely choose leaders of their choice.

“By rejecting the mandatory transmission of election results from the polling units, the National Assembly has chosen opacity over transparency, manipulation over credibility, and elite conspiracy over the sovereign will of the people,” the statement said.

The MCE coalition includes prominent civil society figures and political reform advocates such as Femi Falana (SAN), Prof. Pat Utomi, Dr Oby Ezekwesili, Ayuba Wabba, Dr Usman Bugaje, Shehu Sani, Amb. Nkoyo Toyo and veteran activist Olawale Okunniyi.

The group argued that refusing to mandate electronic transmission protects a flawed system where results could be altered between polling units and collation centres.

“Mandatory electronic transmission of results is not controversial. It is a minimum safeguard against result tampering, ballot rewriting and post-election fraud. Any legislature that blocks it is openly defending a system that thrives on electoral corruption,” the MCE stated.

The coalition has fixed Monday, February 9, 2026, for the “Occupy NASS” protest and called on Nigerians across all walks of life to participate.

“We are calling on students, workers, traders and professionals to stand up and be counted,” it said.

The group also demanded that the National Assembly publish the names of lawmakers who voted against the electronic transmission clause, insisting they must publicly account for their positions.

Beyond electronic transmission, the MCE is advocating for the adoption of a Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trail, similar to India’s system, to ensure digital results align with physical records.

“Democracy dies when votes are allowed to be stolen. It is time to end electoral rigging in Nigeria,” the statement added.

NLC threatens protests, election boycott

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has warned of possible nationwide protests and even an election boycott over what it described as contradictory positions by the Senate on the issue.

In a statement on Sunday, NLC President Joe Ajaero said the labour body was concerned about the confusion surrounding whether electronic transmission would be mandatory.

“The Nigeria Labour Congress expresses deep concern over the confusion and contradictory narratives emerging from the Senate regarding the amendment to the 2022 Electoral Act, particularly on electronic transmission of results,” Ajaero said.

He stressed that Nigerians deserved “a transparent system where votes are not only counted but seen to be counted.”

According to the NLC, public records indicate that the proposed amendment requiring INEC to transmit results electronically in real time was rejected, with the existing discretionary provision retained.

“This has generated nationwide apprehension, and subsequent explanations have only added to the confusion,” the union said.

The labour body warned that such “legislative ambiguity” at a critical period could undermine confidence in Nigeria’s electoral system.

It demanded that the Senate issue an immediate and unambiguous explanation of the exact provisions passed, including the final wording and the rationale behind its decision.

“The National Assembly leadership must ensure the harmonisation process produces a final bill with crystal-clear provisions. Any ambiguity in the transmission and collation of results is a disservice to our democracy,” the statement read.

The NLC insisted that the amended law must compel INEC to electronically transmit and collate results from polling units in real time, warning that failure to do so could trigger mass action.

“Failure to add electronic transmission in real time will lead to mass action before, during and after the election, or total boycott of the election,” the Congress warned.

Senate defends decision, fixes emergency sitting

The outcry follows the Senate’s passage of the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Re-enactment) Amendment Bill 2026 on February 4.

In passing the bill, the Senate voted down Clause 60(3), which sought to make it mandatory for presiding officers to electronically transmit results from polling units directly to INEC’s Result Viewing portal in real time.

The clause was replaced with the existing discretionary provision, which allows electronic transmission only after results are counted and publicly announced at polling units.

Civil society groups and opposition figures have described the move as a setback for Nigeria’s democratic progress.

However, Senate President Godswill Akpabio has defended the chamber’s action, insisting at a public event that the Senate did not reject electronic transmission and would not be intimidated.

The Senate has fixed Tuesday, February 10, 2026, for an emergency plenary sitting, where the controversial amendment could be revisited amid mounting public pressure and the possibility of legal challenges.