Tensions flared at the National Assembly on Tuesday as lawmakers reopened debate on the contentious Electoral Act Amendment Bill amid street protests, a Senate reversal, and renewed calls for mandatory electronic transmission of election results ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The controversy centers on whether results from polling units should be transmitted electronically in real time to the server of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), or whether manual collation should remain an alternative where network failures occur.
Outside the National Assembly complex in Abuja, protesters gathered in large numbers to demand that lawmakers adopt full real-time electronic transmission of results without qualification. Demonstrators attempted to push through the main gate, prompting security personnel to respond with tear gas.
The confrontation triggered panic as hundreds of protesters, including many women, scrambled to escape the choking fumes. Witnesses said several people fell while trying to flee, and an elderly woman reportedly collapsed after inhaling tear gas.
The protest followed the Senate’s earlier decision to retain a proviso allowing manual collation of results through Form EC8A in cases where electronic transmission fails.
Minority Walkout in the House
Inside the National Assembly, the political divide was equally stark. In the House of Representatives, minority lawmakers staged a walkout in protest against a clause providing for both real-time electronic transmission and manual transmission of results.
Led by Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda, opposition lawmakers accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of imposing manual transmission on Nigerians. As they exited the chamber, some lawmakers shouted “APC ole” – a Yoruba phrase meaning “APC thief.”
The House had earlier agreed to accommodate both transmission methods following heated debate on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2025, a move critics say dilutes the integrity of electronic transmission.
Senate Reconsiders, Amends Notice Period
In a separate but related development, the Senate reconvened for an emergency plenary session and took the unusual step of rescinding its earlier passage of the Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal and Enactment) Bill, 2026.
Acting on a motion sponsored by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele under Orders 1(b) and 52(6) of its Standing Rules, the upper chamber dissolved into the Committee of the Whole to reconsider key provisions.
Central to the review was Clause 28, which originally required INEC to publish election notices 360 days before polling. Lawmakers voted to reduce the notice period to 300 days, giving INEC flexibility to schedule the 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections between December 2026 and January 2027.
INEC had earlier fixed February 20, 2027, for presidential and National Assembly polls and March 6, 2027, for governorship and state assembly elections. Senators argued that the earlier timeline could coincide with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, potentially affecting voter turnout, logistics, and inclusiveness.
The motion also addressed technical discrepancies in multiple clauses of the bill, ranging from cross-referencing errors to inconsistencies in numbering.
Rowdy Session Over Clause 60
Debate grew particularly heated over Clause 60(3), which concerns electronic transmission of results.
During clause-by-clause consideration, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (APGA, Abia South) invoked Order 72(1) to demand a division on the provision permitting manual transmission where network failure occurs. He argued that allowing manual collation undermines the intent of making electronic transmission mandatory.
Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin countered that revisiting previously decided matters could violate Senate rules, leading to a heated exchange. The chamber later went into a closed-door session for nearly an hour.
When proceedings resumed, Abaribe formally called for a division. After votes were cast by standing and raising hands, 55 senators voted to retain the proviso allowing manual transmission in the event of network failure, while 14 opposed it.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio described the outcome as democracy in action, stating that those who supported the proviso had “saved Nigeria’s democracy,” even as he commended dissenting lawmakers for standing their ground.
The vote marked the second time in one week that the Senate rejected an unqualified real-time transmission clause.
Henshaw Invokes ‘Golden Moments’ of the Senate
Amid the legislative turbulence, former senator Bassey Ewa Henshaw issued a strongly worded appeal urging lawmakers to align the bill with what he described as the clear wishes of Nigerians for transparent and credible elections.
Henshaw, who served in the 5th and 6th Senates, likened the current debate to what he called two “golden moments” in Nigeria’s democratic history.
He recalled the Senate’s 2006 rejection of former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s alleged proposed third-term constitutional amendment under Senate President Ken Nnamani, widely hailed as a defense of constitutional order.
He also referenced the 2010 constitutional crisis during the prolonged illness of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, when the Senate, led by David Mark, invoked the Doctrine of Necessity to empower Vice President Goodluck Jonathan as Acting President – a move credited with stabilizing the country.
According to Henshaw, those decisions underscored the Senate’s constitutional responsibility to safeguard democracy and reflect public sentiment.
Trust, Technology and 2027
At the heart of the present dispute is public trust. Critics of manual collation argue that it has historically enabled manipulation and fueled post-election litigation.
Henshaw contended that most Nigerians favor mandatory electronic transmission to INEC’s results portal as a safeguard against tampering. He dismissed infrastructure concerns raised by some lawmakers, suggesting that technological gaps could be bridged through partnerships with service providers and satellite-based solutions.
“No anticipated victory,” he wrote in apparent reference to comments by Akpabio expressing confidence in his party’s prospects for 2027, “should be clouded by doubts about credibility. The victory will be sweet if voting is seen to be transparent and credible.”
