Outrage as activists plan ‘Occupy NASS’ protest over Senate e-transmission vote

• Coalition of civil society leaders accuses lawmakers of weakening electoral transparency
• Protest scheduled for Monday at the National Assembly complex in Abuja
• Group demands disclosure of senators who voted against the clause

A coalition of Nigerian activists, reform advocates, and elder statesmen has announced plans to occupy the National Assembly complex in protest over the Senate’s removal of mandatory electronic transmission of election results from the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2026.

Operating under the banner of the Movement for Credible Elections (MCE), the group described the decision as a deliberate attempt to weaken electoral accountability ahead of the 2027 general elections, warning that the move reopens loopholes long associated with result manipulation and post-election disputes.

In a statement issued on Saturday by its Media Coordinator, James Ezema, the coalition said the Senate’s action represented “democratic sabotage” rather than legislative reform, arguing that rejecting electronic transmission strips voters of one of the few remaining safeguards against electoral malpractice.

“By choosing not to mandate result transmission from polling units, the National Assembly has opted for opacity over transparency and elite convenience over the will of the people,” the group said, adding that the clause was a minimum standard in modern elections, not an optional reform.

Reform heavyweights rally behind protest

The coalition includes several prominent voices in Nigeria’s civic and political space, including Femi Falana (SAN), Prof. Pat Utomi, Dr Oby Ezekwesili, Ayuba Wabba, Dr Usman Bugaje, Shehu Sani, Ambassador Nkoyo Toyo, and veteran activist Olawale Okunniyi.

read also: ADC Accuses Senate of Undermining Democracy After Blocking E-Transmission Clause

According to the group, abandoning electronic transmission preserves a system where election results remain vulnerable between polling units and collation centres, a stage of the process that has historically generated the most disputes and litigation.

“This is not lawmaking. It is deliberate democratic sabotage,” the coalition said, insisting that any legislature blocking the clause was effectively defending electoral corruption.

Protest date set, lawmakers challenged

The MCE announced Monday, February 9, as the date for its planned “Occupy NASS” protest in Abuja, calling on students, workers, professionals, and civil society groups to join what it described as a peaceful mass action.

“We are asking Nigerians everywhere to stand up and be counted,” the statement said, stressing that public pressure remained the only viable route to forcing a legislative reversal.

The group also demanded that the National Assembly publish the identities of lawmakers who opposed the clause, arguing that constituents deserve to know where their representatives stand on electoral reform.

Push for broader electoral safeguards

Beyond electronic transmission, the coalition is advocating the introduction of a Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trail, similar to systems used in countries like India, to ensure digital results remain aligned with physical ballot records.

“Democracy dies when votes are stolen,” the group said. “It is time to permanently close the doors to electoral fraud in Nigeria.”