The Nigeria Labour Congress has threatened to mobilise nationwide protests and potentially boycott elections unless the Senate provides clear answers about electronic transmission of election results in the amended Electoral Act.
In a statement issued on Sunday, February 8, NLC President Joe Ajaero accused the upper legislative chamber of creating confusion and undermining electoral credibility through contradictory explanations about what was actually passed.
“The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) expresses deep concern over the confusion and contradictory narratives emerging from the Senate regarding the amendment to the 2022 Electoral Act, particularly on electronic transmission of results,” Ajaero said.
The labour body noted that whilst the Senate appeared to reject mandatory real-time electronic transmission of results, subsequent clarifications from Senate leadership have only deepened public confusion about what the final law actually requires.
The NLC emphasised that Nigerians need a transparent electoral system “where votes are not only counted but seen to be counted,” arguing that legislative ambiguity on such a fundamental issue threatens democratic integrity.
The union demanded that the Senate immediately issue an official, unambiguous statement explaining exactly what provisions were adopted, including the precise wording and reasoning behind the decision.
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“The National Assembly leadership must also ensure 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 NLC warned that failure to mandate real-time electronic transmission would provoke significant resistance from Nigerian workers and citizens.
“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 Congress stated bluntly.
The controversy stems from the Senate’s February 4 passage of the Electoral Act amendment, where lawmakers rejected a provision that would have compelled INEC to transmit results electronically in real time, instead preserving the commission’s discretion over transmission methods.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio later claimed the Senate only removed the term “real-time” whilst retaining electronic transmission, but critics argue the final text leaves room for manual processes that could facilitate manipulation ahead of 2027 elections.