For today’s “Occupy National Assembly” demonstration, demonstrators gathered at the National Assembly’s entrance in Abuja.
The Senate’s stance on the electronic broadcast of election results serves as the backdrop for the protest.
The Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps provided a significant security presence at the location.
• A few of the demonstrators
The demonstrators insist that politicians be clear by including the term “real-time electronic transmission” in the draft legislation, despite the Senate’s multiple clarifications over claims that it rejected electronic transmission of results.
For the demonstration, members of civil society organizations, a few members of the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), and a few women’s organizations are assembled before the National Assembly’s entrance.
The National Assembly’s entrance has already been blocked by police.
Speaking to our correspondent, a few representatives of civil society organizations said that the demonstrators have no plans to penetrate the National Assembly’s grounds because the demonstration is anticipated to primarily occur at the entrance.
From the Federal Secretariat, the demonstrators have started their march in the direction of the National Assembly gate.
Passage of the Electoral Bill
The Senate’s passage of the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Reenactment) Amendment Bill 2026 through the third reading last week sparked a fury.
However, the proposed modification to Clause 60, Subsection 3 of the bill, which aimed to mandate the electronic transmission of election results, was not approved by the upper chamber when the bill was passed.
The rejected provision would have mandated that Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) presiding officers electronically transmit results from each polling station to the IREV portal in real time, following the presiding officer’s signature and stamping of the required Form EC&A and the candidates’ countersignature.
Rather, the Senate accepted the current Electoral Act provision that, according to the Commission, “the presiding officer shall transfer the results, including the total number of accredited voters and the results of the ballot.”
“Electronic transmission was accepted.”
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has provided an explanation of the upper chamber’s stance in response to the reactions that followed the Senate’s passing of the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Reenactment) Amendment Bill 2026 through the third reading.
Akpabio claims that the Senate just kept the 2022 Electoral Act’s provision allowing for the electronic transmission of election results, rather than rejecting it.
The Senate President clarified during a book launch over the weekend that while electronic results transmission is still allowed, the term “real time” has been eliminated.
“During the conversation, we only agreed that the term’real-time’ should be dropped because it implies a network or grid failure and the network is down.Someone will say it should have been real-time when you appear in court. We only said that,” he said.
He emphasized that the choice was made to provide the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) the latitude to choose the best way to transmit the results while taking security and technological issues into consideration.
“Avoid choosing INEC.”
Former Senate President David Mark responded to Akpabio’s stance by stating that the National Assembly need to give the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) the authority to determine whether or not election results should be sent electronically.
He went on to say that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) is in complete favor of election results being transmitted electronically.
Plenary emergency
In the meantime, the Senate declared yesterday that Tuesday, February 10, 2026, would be the date of its extraordinary plenary session.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio instructed the lawmakers to meet at the National Assembly premises, according to a memo delivered by Senate Clerk Emmanuel Odo.
Odo called on every senator to show up for the emergency meeting.
The meeting’s purpose was not disclosed, but it coincides with continuing discussions on electronic election results transmission after the Senate’s third reading of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill. Later, lawmakers adjourned plenary.
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