The Senate, yesterday, said it is not opposed to public criticism and peaceful protests over its handling of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, assuring Nigerians that the controversy surrounding the removal of the phrase “real-time” from provisions on electronic transmission of election results will be addressed at an emergency plenary sitting today.
Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, spoke as hundreds of protesters besieged the National Assembly complex in Abuja, demanding that lawmakers explicitly provide for mandatory, real-time electronic transmission of results in the amended Electoral Act.
Adaramodu told Vanguard that Nigerians have the right to ventilate their grievances peacefully, stressing that such actions are part of democratic practice.
“The Senate is not averse to Nigerians showing their feelings. We are in a democracy, and people have the right to express themselves peacefully,” he said.
According to him, the Senate will reconvene today to consider and approve the votes and proceedings of last Wednesday’s plenary, during which the controversial amendment was passed.
“Tomorrow (today), we will be having an emergency sitting to approve the votes and proceedings of our last sitting. As a Senate, we are not averse to Nigerians expressing their views in a very peaceful manner.
‘’We are in a democracy, and we will do what we have been elected to do for the people of Nigeria,” Adaramodu added.
The assurance came amid heightened tension around the National Assembly, following a protest tagged “Occupy the National Assembly,” organised by the Obidient Movement, in collaboration with pro-democracy groups.
This was as the Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE; former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Olisa Agbakoba, SAN; Movement for Credible Elections, MCE; and Fixpolitics, among others, urged the National Assembly to ensure that real-time transmission of poll results was included in the electoral law.
The demonstrators accused lawmakers of deliberately weakening Nigeria’s electoral framework, ahead of the 2027 general elections, by deleting the words “real-time” from provisions dealing with electronic transmission of results in the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Re-enactment) Amendment Bill, 2026.
Security around the complex was tightened as personnel of the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, barricaded the main entrance, preventing protesters from gaining access into the premises.
Carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Our votes must count,” “No to electoral robbery,” and “Protect democracy now,” the protesters insisted that anything short of an explicit, mandatory real-time electronic transmission clause will leave room for manipulation during result collation.
The protesters vowed to sustain pressure on lawmakers until their demand was reflected verbatim in the final version of the bill.
The demonstrators, drawn from civil society organisations, youth groups and political movements, converged on the main entrance of the National Assembly early in the morning, insisting that the amended Electoral Act must clearly contain the words “real-time electronic transmission” to remove ambiguity and strengthen the credibility of future elections.
They argued that anything short of an unambiguous provision will undermine public confidence in the electoral process and leave room for manipulation during collation.
Obi’s presence further galvanised the protesters, many of whom viewed him as a symbol of the youth-driven political awakening witnessed during the 2023 general elections.
