NLC protests Senate voting confusion, demands clarity on electronic result transmission and warns of protests or election boycott

The Nigeria Labour Congress has warned of possible nationwide protests and an election boycott over what it called confusion and contradictory positions by the Senate on amendments to the Electoral Act, particularly on electronic transmission of results.

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The warning was issued on Sunday in a statement by the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, who accused the Senate of undermining public confidence in the electoral process by failing to clearly state whether electronic transmission would be mandatory.

Joe Ajaero said Nigerians deserved a transparent system in which votes are not only counted but seen to be counted, adding that public records indicated the proposal to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission to transmit results electronically in real time was not adopted.

Joe Ajaero said the retention of a discretionary provision allowing electronic transfer only after votes are counted and publicly announced had generated nationwide apprehension.

The Nigeria Labour Congress described the situation as legislative ambiguity at a critical time following the 2023 general elections and warned that it could institutionalise doubt within the electoral system.

Joe Ajaero demanded that the Senate issue an immediate and unambiguous account of the exact provisions passed, including the final wording and the rationale behind its decision.

The union also called on the National Assembly leadership to ensure that the harmonisation process produces a final bill with clear provisions on result transmission and collation.

Joe Ajaero warned that failure to include mandatory real time electronic transmission could trigger mass action before, during and after elections, or even a total boycott.

The development follows the Senate’s passage of the Electoral Act 2022 Amendment Bill 2026 through third reading on 4 February, during which lawmakers voted down Clause 60(3) that sought to mandate presiding officers to electronically transmit polling unit results directly to the Independent National Electoral Commission Result Viewing portal.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has defended the chamber’s action at a public event, stating that the Senate did not reject electronic transmission and would not be intimidated.

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The Senate has fixed Tuesday, 10 February 2026, for an emergency plenary sitting, a move that observers say could open the door for reconsideration of the rejected clause amid mounting public scrutiny and the prospect of legal challenges.