…Acusses Senate of contradictory narratives
…Says upper legislative chamber undermining public confidence in electoral process
Nigeria Labour Congress ,NLC, has warned of mass protests and election boycotts due to the Senate’s unclear stance on electronic transmission of election results in the amended Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill 2026.
NLC after perusing the bill clause by clause raised a few concerns such as
Legislative Ambiguity:
The Senate retained a discretionary (non-mandatory) clause on electronic transmission, contrary to public demand for real-time uploads of results to INEC’s portal.
NLC President, Joe Ajaero called this a threat to electoral integrity, citing confusion akin to the controversies around the 2023 elections.
Demands for Clarity:
The NLC demands an official, unambiguous statement from the Senate on the final provisions of the amended Act, insists on real-time electronic transmission of results from polling units to prevent rigging and restore public trust.
…Threat of Mass Action:
Failure to mandate e-transmission could trigger the a nationwide protests before, during or after elections and a total election boycott by workers and citizens.
AljazirahNigeria recalls that after the 2023 elections , allegations of rigging via manual result collation fueled public distrust in INEC.
The civil society and majority of the public demanded a complete electoral act reform. It was on this reason, Nigerians pushed for reforms to block loopholes, especially mandatory e-transmission to ensure transparency.
Senate, shockingly dashed the hope of the masses by passing the amendment bill on February 4, 2026, but retained discretionary e-transmission, sparking backlash.
It is a common legislative practice that a harmonisation committee will be set up to look at the bill passed by both chambers. A harmonization committee (Senate and House of Representatives) will reconcile the bill’s versions and come up with a single acceptable version before forwarding it to Mr President Tinubu for his assent to the bill
NLC urges the committee to prioritize clear, enforceable e-transmission rules to avert a crisis.
…Why This Matters:
Trust in Democracy: Ambiguous laws risk institutionalizing electoral fraud doubts.
Citizen Mobilization: The NLC’s threat reflects widespread frustration; similar pressures led to the #EndSARS movement.
AljazirahNigeria reports that the harmonization process’s outcome will determine whether Nigeria avoids another election-related crisis.
