The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has issued a firm ultimatum to the National Assembly, warning of potential nationwide mass protests and a boycott of future elections if the amended Electoral Act fails to explicitly mandate the real-time electronic transmission and collation of election results.
In a strongly worded statement released on Sunday, NLC President Joe Ajaero declared that the revised law must leave no room for ambiguity, requiring the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to electronically transmit results directly from polling units as voting ends. He emphasized that any legislative vagueness would further degrade public trust in the nation’s electoral integrity.
This warning comes in direct response to the Senate’s recent rejection, on February 4, of a proposed amendment to the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which sought to make real-time electronic transmission compulsory. Although the current 2022 Act permits electronic transmission, it does not legally bind INEC to implement it instantaneously, allowing manual handling and collation to remain standard practice.
The defeated clause aimed to enshrine mandatory, real-time uploads linked directly to INEC’s Result Viewing Portal (IReV). Its dismissal has triggered public outcry and intensified skepticism over the transparency of Nigeria’s electoral process.
The NLC now asserts that without this crucial safeguard, elections remain vulnerable to manipulation. The union has positioned itself as a leading civic voice demanding technological accountability, framing immediate electronic transmission as essential for credible democracy.
Should the legislature fail to act, the NLC warns it will mobilize its members and allies across the country for sustained protest action and may urge citizens to shun the polls altogether.
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