DEMOCRACY ON THE LINE: Nigerians Storm NASS Again, Demand Iron-Clad Real-Time Election Results

 

Video Credit: @Peter4Nigeria

DEMOCRACY ON THE LINE: Nigerians Storm NASS Again, Demand Iron-Clad Real-Time Election Results

Infocity News | Abuja | February 17, 2026

Abuja witnessed another wave of citizen action on Monday as protesters converged outside Nigeria’s National Assembly, demanding one clear reform: mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results from polling units.

The message from the streets was direct — no more grey areas, no more “fallbacks,” no more loopholes.

The Clause at the Center of the Storm

The controversy revolves around Clause 60(3) of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, 2026. The clause proposes that presiding officers must upload polling unit results directly to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Results Viewing Portal (IReV) immediately after counting — eliminating manual interference at collation centres.

The Senate’s initial rejection of the clause triggered nationwide outrage. Civil society groups including Situation Room Nigeria and ActionAid Nigeria led demonstrations at the National Assembly gates. They were joined by prominent voices such as Peter Obi and activist Aisha Yesufu.

Following mounting pressure, the Senate reversed its earlier decision on February 10. However, activists argue the revised clause still permits manual collation under certain conditions — a provision they insist could reopen the door to manipulation.

> “If results don’t go live directly from the polling unit, transparency is compromised,” one protester declared.

The Senate’s Position

Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele defended the upper chamber’s stance, citing infrastructural limitations. According to him:

About 85 million Nigerians lack access to reliable grid electricity. Internet penetration remains around 44.53%. Nigeria ranks 85th out of 105 countries on mobile network reliability.

He argued that making real-time transmission legally mandatory could destabilize elections in areas with weak infrastructure.

This is not about sentiment. We must be realistic about our national capacity,” Bamidele stated.

Civil Society Pushback

Advocacy coalition YERP-Naija countered the Senate’s argument, noting that modern election technology allows timestamped uploads that can queue offline and transmit automatically once connectivity is restored.

The Nigerian Society of Engineers also weighed in, affirming that nationwide real-time electronic transmission is technically feasible ahead of the 2027 elections.

Major opposition parties — the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) — jointly criticized the Senate’s revised position, describing it as anti-democratic.

Also, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has threatened further industrial action if strong transparency safeguards are not embedded in the final version of the bill.

Meanwhile, A Conference Committee comprising members of both chambers is now tasked with harmonizing the bill.

Political observers say the committee’s decision could either rebuild public trust in Nigeria’s electoral system — or deepen long-standing skepticism.

For the protesters camped outside the National Assembly complex, however, the demand remains unchanged:

“No more loopholes. Make it mandatory. Make it transparent.”

The coming days may determine whether Nigeria strengthens its democratic process — or faces another season of electoral distrust.

Stay with Infocity News for verified updates as this story unfolds.