By Joy Yesufu
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has warned of possible nationwide protests and election boycotts over what it described as confusion and contradictory positions by the Senate on amendments to the Electoral Act, particularly the issue of electronic transmission of election results.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, accused the Senate of undermining public confidence in the electoral process by failing to clearly state whether electronic transmission of results would be mandatory.
The Congress said the lack of clarity surrounding the Senate’s final decision poses a serious threat to electoral integrity and public trust, stressing that Nigerians deserve a transparent system “where votes are not only counted but seen to be counted.”
According to the labour body, public records indicate that a proposed amendment compelling the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to transmit results electronically in real time was rejected, with the existing discretionary provision retained.
“This has generated nationwide apprehension, and subsequent explanations have only added to the confusion,” the NLC stated.
The Labour Centre warned that legislative ambiguity at a critical period following the 2023 general elections could institutionalise doubt within the electoral system.
The NLC demanded that the Senate issue an immediate, official and unambiguous clarification of the exact provisions passed, including the final wording of the amendment and the rationale behind its decision.
“The National Assembly leadership must also ensure that the harmonisation process produces a final bill with crystal-clear provisions. Any ambiguity in the transmission and collation of results is a disservice to our democracy,” the statement added.
The Congress insisted that the amended Electoral Act must clearly mandate INEC to electronically transmit and collate results from polling units in real time, warning that failure to do so could provoke mass action.
“Failure to provide for real-time electronic transmission will lead to mass action before, during and after the elections, or a total boycott,” the NLC warned, adding that Nigerian workers and citizens were closely monitoring developments.
The warning follows the Senate’s passage of the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Re-enactment) Amendment Bill 2026, which scaled through its third reading on February 4, 2026.
During the passage, the upper chamber rejected a proposed amendment to Clause 60(3) that sought to make electronic transmission of results mandatory.
The clause would have compelled INEC presiding officers to transmit polling unit results electronically to the IReV portal in real time after signing and stamping the prescribed result forms.
Instead, the Senate retained the existing provision allowing results to be transmitted “in a manner as prescribed by the Commission,” thereby preserving INEC’s discretion over transmission and collation methods.
The decision sparked public outrage and drew criticism from opposition parties and civil society groups, who argue that reliance on manual collation increases the risk of manipulation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Senate’s position also differs from that of the House of Representatives, which earlier approved mandatory electronic transmission, making a conference committee necessary to harmonise both versions of the bill before transmission to the President for assent.
In response to the backlash, Senate President Godswill Akpabio said the Senate did not abolish electronic transmission but merely removed the phrase “real-time” to avoid legal and technical complications.
He said the amendment was intended to give INEC flexibility in addressing network and security challenges, while reaffirming the Senate’s commitment to credible elections.
Despite the controversy, the amendment bill introduces additional reforms, including digital voter identification using QR codes and stiffer penalties for electoral offences.
