A protest tagged #OccupyNASS began Monday in Abuja as civil society groups, activists and members of the public demanded clearer election laws and mandatory electronic transmission of election results ahead of the 2027 general election.
The demonstrators gathered outside the National Assembly to express frustration at the Senate’s decision to drop a clause from the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill that would have made electronic transmission of results from polling units compulsory.
The Senate instead kept the existing wording that allows the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to transfer results “in a manner as prescribed by the Commission.”
In a statement ahead of the protest, the Movement for Credible Elections (MCE) said the Senate’s rejection of mandatory e-transmission was “a direct attempt by the National Assembly to subvert the right of Nigerians to freely choose their leaders.”
The group added that “mandatory electronic transmission of results is not controversial” but “a minimum safeguard against result tampering, ballot rewriting and post-election fraud.”
Organisers called on Nigerians — including students, workers, traders and professionals — to join the action and stand against perceived efforts to weaken electoral transparency.
The MCE also wants the National Assembly to publicly name members who opposed the electronic transmission clause.
Labour unions have also sounded alarms.
The Nigeria Labour Congress warned that “failure to add electronic transmission in real time will lead to mass action before, during and after the election or total boycott of the election.”
The protest comes as the Senate has called an emergency plenary for Tuesday, amid widespread public pressure to revisit the disputed clauses of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill before it goes to the president.
Security was tight, with police, army, and civil defense officers on guard.
