Obi leads protesters to National Assembly over real-time transmission of election results

Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, on Monday led a group of protesters to the National Assembly Complex in Abuja to oppose the senate’s rejection of real-time electronic transmission of election results.
The protesters included students, civil society organisations, members of the African Democratic Congress, and supporters of Obi under the Obidient Movement. Human rights activist Aisha Yesufu was also seen among the demonstrators.
Addressing the crowd, Obi urged the senate to allow the electoral process to follow laid down rules, stressing that credible elections would strengthen democracy.
“Allow the elections to go through the normal process. Whoever wins, we would accept,” he said, as protesters chanted solidarity songs. “So why are you bringing this confusion?”
The protest follows the passage of the Electoral Act amendment bill by the senate on February 4 after a five-hour clause by clause consideration. One of the amendments reduced the timeline for the Independent National Electoral Commission to issue a notice of election from 360 days to 180 days.
However, the senate ruled out real-time electronic transmission of results, retaining the provision in the Electoral Act 2022 that allows electronic transfer of results in a manner prescribed by INEC.
The decision triggered widespread criticism on social media, with many Nigerians expressing concerns about transparency in future elections.
At the centre of the controversy is clause 60(3) of the proposed amendment, which sought to make electronic transmission of results mandatory and in real time through the INEC Result Viewing Portal after Form EC8A had been signed and stamped at polling units.
The senate rejected this clause and instead adopted section 60(5) of the existing law, which gives INEC discretion on how results are transmitted.
Amid the growing backlash, the senate has scheduled an emergency plenary session for Tuesday, February 10. In a notice signed by Emmanuel Odo, clerk of the senate, the sitting was convened on the directive of Godswill Akpabio, president of the senate.
The Nigeria Labour Congress has also threatened to mobilise mass action over the development.