The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has threatened a mass action and boycott of elections if the real-time transmission of election results is not included in the Electoral Act 2022 amendment.
NLC President Joe Ajaero said in a statement on Sunday that the Electoral Act must give the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) “an unambiguous mandate” to electronically transfer and compile polling station results in real-time.
BACKGROUND
However, the Electoral Act of 2022’s provision for the electronic transfer of election results was upheld by the Senate.
The change aims to link it directly to the INEC result viewing portal (IReV), make electronic transmission mandatory, and guarantee real-time transmission.
INEC is not required by law to electronically communicate results in real-time under the current legislation. Even with IReV, manual gearbox and result compilation are still the primary methods.
The rejection however has triggered public outrage and renewed distrust in the electoral system.
‘NIGERIANS DESERVE TRANSPARENT ELECTORAL PROCESS’
Ajaero stated in the statement that the “confusion and contradictory narratives emerging from the senate” over the change of the Electoral Act 2022 are a major source of concern for the Labour Congress.
The NLC president demanded “immediate clarity and transparency” on the “exact provisions passed” during the amendment of the extant Electoral Act.
“The Nigerian people deserve a transparent electoral process where their votes are not only counted but seen to be counted,” the statement reads.
“We urge the Senate to provide an immediate, official, and unambiguous account of its proceedings and final decisions.
Read Also: Senate to hold emergency plenary session on Tuesday February 10
“Public records suggest the proposed amendment to mandate INEC to transmit results electronically in real-time was not adopted, with the existing discretionary provision retained. This has generated nationwide apprehension, and subsequent explanations have only added to the confusion.
“At a critical juncture following the 2023 elections, such legislative ambiguity risks institutionalising doubt at the heart of our electoral integrity and echoes past controversies that have caused national distress.
“Therefore, the NLC demands immediate clarity and transparency. The Senate must issue a definitive statement on the exact provisions passed, clarifying the final wording and rationale.
“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.
“We call on the Senate to restore legislative credibility by ensuring its processes are transparent and its outcomes clear. The amended Act must provide an unambiguous mandate for INEC to electronically transmit and collate results from polling units in real-time. The path to the 2027 elections must be built on certainty, not confusion.
“Nigerian workers and citizens are watching closely. The NLC is working within its networks to advocate for clarity and integrity. We will not stand by while the trusts of Nigerians are betrayed again and the clarity of our electoral laws compromised.
“Failure to add electronic transmission real-time will lead to mass action before, during and after the election or total boycott of the Election. Our nation must choose the path of clarity and integrity. We need to avoid the same confusion that trailed the new Tax Acts.”
