Citizens’ march to the National Assembly: A demand for critical electoral reforms, By Agianpe Onyema

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The electronic transmission of results to the IReV entails the online publishing of scanned copies of the Polling Unit result sheets (Form EC8A), which are usually published at each Polling Unit as Form EC60E. It is a foundational reform that addresses perennial challenges in Nigeria’s elections…

In a bold demonstration of democratic engagement and civic determination, thousands of Nigerian citizens joined a march under the banner of the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room to the National Assembly on Monday, 9^th February, to demand urgent reforms to the electoral process — most notably the adoption of real electronic transmission of results (“e-transmission”) directly to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Result Viewing (IReV) portal,  along with other critical amendments to strengthen Nigeria’s democratic architecture.

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Organised by the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room (Situation Room), a broad platform of civil society organisations in collaboration with Motion for the Transformation of Nigeria (MOTION), along with youth groups, women’s movements, and pro-democracy advocates, the peaceful but resolute protest underscored growing public impatience with outdated, opaque systems of result collation and transmission that have historically compromised trust in Nigeria’s elections. The protest was also joined by opposition party leaders, supporters and well-meaning Nigerians who continued with the protest until Tuesday, 10^th February.

On Wednesday, 28^th January, there had been an earlier protest by the Situation Room and MOTION to demand the Senate to pass the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2026 and expedite legislative action on the bill, as the House of Representatives had already passed its version in December 2025. The protesters were addressed by Honourable Akin Rotimi, spokesperson of the House of Representatives, on that day and were urged to return home, as the Senate was set to indeed consider the bill. The protesters promised to return if the bill was not passed by the Senate. The Senate later considered the bill on 4^th February, watering down its progressive amendments.

Rallying for Transparency and Trust in Elections

Participants converged from across Nigeria, bearing placards and chanting slogans calling for “Electoral laws must serve the citizens, not incumbents!” and “Real-Time Results = Public Confidence!” The mood was peaceful but charged with urgency — a reflection of widespread demand for an electoral system that is credible, verifiable, and accountable to the people it serves.

In a press statement issued by the Situation Room on Friday, 6^th February, it was emphasised that true democratic reform begins with transparent electoral processes in order to reduce suspicion, distrust, and disillusionment. It said: “Rather than strengthening Nigeria’s electoral framework ahead of the 2027 General Elections, the Senate’s amendments weaken critical safeguards for transparency, credibility, and public trust in elections. It is also a troubling retreat from lessons learned during the 2023 General Elections, where the absence of mandatory real-time transmission contributed significantly to disputes, litigation, and widespread public mistrust of election outcomes.”

By ensuring that results are transmitted electronically and posted on the INEC IReV portal in real time, citizens would gain confidence that the will of the people is truly reflected in official outcomes.

Why E-Transmission Matters

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The electronic transmission of results to the IReV entails the online publishing of scanned copies of the Polling Unit result sheets (Form EC8A), which are usually published at each Polling Unit as Form EC60E. It is a foundational reform that addresses perennial challenges in Nigeria’s elections, including:

• Delays in result announcement, which create opportunities for manipulation and misinformation;
• Opaque manual processes, which exclude the public from meaningful oversight; and
• Weak accountability mechanisms, which erode trust in electoral outcomes.

By ensuring that results are transmitted electronically and posted on the INEC IReV portal in real time, citizens would gain confidence that the will of the people is truly reflected in official outcomes.

Key functionalities of the IReV portal, as intended by INEC in its publication, “Innovations in Electoral Technology (2015-2025)”, are as follows:

1. Instant publication of polling unit results: This allows polling unit officials to scan and upload election results directly from polling units.
2. Public access to election results: Citizens, election observers, political parties, candidates and stakeholders can view results, ensuring unrestricted monitoring of electoral outcomes.
3. Verifiable digital archive: The portal maintains a timestamped and immutable record of polling unit results, serving as an audit trail for transparency and accountability.
4. Integration with Bimodal Voting Accreditation System (BVAS): This ensures seamless transmission of polling unit results, complementing BVAS’s biometric accreditation data.

Whether lawmakers translate this energy into legislative and policy action remains to be seen. But one message was unmistakable: Nigerians are no longer willing to accept half-measures when it comes to the integrity of their votes.

A Turning Point for Nigerian Democracy

Beyond the e-transmission of results, there are also other issues of concern to citizens:

Such as the proposed reduction of the 360-day Notice of Elections timeline to 180 days before the election date; the reduction of the deadline for submission of the list of candidates by political parties from 180 days to 90 days before a general election; the rejection of the proposal that would have allowed citizens to use downloadable Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) for voting and the deletion of the provisions for indirect primaries from the Electoral Bill.

In addition, that the final version of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2026 reflects the progressive consensus reached through stakeholder engagement and strengthens — rather than undermines — Nigeria’s democratic process.

Whether lawmakers translate this energy into legislative and policy action remains to be seen. But one message was unmistakable: Nigerians are no longer willing to accept half-measures when it comes to the integrity of their votes.

Agianpe Onyema writes from Abuja and is the Secretariat Coordinator of the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room.