ACF Kicks As Reps Align With Senate On E-Transmission, Manual Backup

| Amaechi, opposition leaders’ protests, political deception – Wike

James Kwen, Samson Elijah, Igho Oyoyo, Samson Elijah

The apex northern socio-cultural organisation, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), has warned that democracy is under threat following the controversies surrounding  the Electoral Act Amendment Bills in the Senate and House of Reps.  The forum also called for the inclusion of real-time transmission of election results in the proposed law, arguing that it would enhance transparency and strengthen Nigeria’s democratic process.

Speaking with LEADERSHIP via telephone, ACF National Publicity Secretary, Prof. T. A. Muhammad-Baba, alleged that the National Assembly was being influenced by external forces and failing to assert its constitutional independence.

While expressing concern, the ACF urged the lawmakers to “redeem themselves” by taking decisions in the overall interest of the country.

“There appears to be clear interference in the work of the legislature,” he said. “It seems that whenever a provision is passed that is not acceptable to the executive or certain powerful interests, attempts are made to alter it.”

The forum called on Nigerians to pay close attention to developments surrounding the Electoral Act Bill at the National Assembly, warning that the implications go beyond a single piece of legislation.

“What we are witnessing is not limited to the tax bill; now it is the electoral bill. Step by step, our democracy appears to be under strain,” Muhammad-Baba said. “The legislature has the constitutional authority to make laws. If laws that have gone through due process are being tampered with or revisited improperly, then our democracy is clearly in danger. Every Nigerian and every civic organisation should be concerned.”

He argued that the current lawmaking process was being driven more by personal, sectional or external interests than by constitutional procedure.

“What we are seeing in lawmaking now reflects personal or sectional preferences. When such interests fail to prevail through the established legislative process, there appears to be pressure or arm-twisting,” he said. “This could take different forms — including alleged forgery or the improper reintroduction of bills that have already been settled.”

Muhammad-Baba maintained that there are constitutional procedures for reviewing or amending legislation, stressing that changes should not be made arbitrarily simply because certain stakeholders are dissatisfied.

“There are laid-down procedures for revisiting legislation,” he explained. “It is not a matter of altering provisions midstream because someone is uncomfortable with them. Even after a law has been passed, the Constitution provides mechanisms for amendment or review. In some cases, even the Supreme Court can be asked to revisit its decisions through proper legal channels. What we are seeing suggests that we are drifting away from established democratic norms.”

He described the situation as unfortunate and partly self-inflicted by the legislature.

“In fairness, the legislature must also take responsibility. If it had consistently asserted its independence and safeguarded its integrity, this situation might not have arisen,” he said. “What we have observed so far does not inspire confidence.”

The forum was particularly critical of the current Assembly, describing it as overly pliant.

“The 10th National Assembly has unfortunately demonstrated a tendency to yield to pressures from outside the legislature,” he said. “This development is largely a consequence of its inability to firmly defend its constitutional mandate to make laws without interference from any arm of government. That is deeply troubling.”

The ACF described the development as a setback for Nigeria’s democratic growth and warned that it could undermine public confidence in the electoral process ahead of 2027.

“This is indeed a sad moment for our democracy. The 10th National Assembly, by failing to assert its constitutional sovereignty, risks becoming an obstacle to the deepening of democratic politics in Nigeria,” the forum stated.

It urged lawmakers to use the remainder of their tenure to restore public trust by reaffirming their independence and strictly adhering to constitutional provisions in the handling of the Electoral Act Bill and other key legislation.

 

Reps Make U-turn, Okay Both Manual, E-Transmission Of Election Results

The House of Representatives on Tuesday turned 360 degrees to approve both manual and electronic transmission of election results.

This followed the rescission of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2205, which was passed last December, especially Section 60(3).

The former clause 60(3) of the Electoral Act amendment bill made it mandatory for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to electronically transmit results from polling units to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IREV) in real time, alongside physical collation of results.

However, the new one states that: “(3) The Presiding Officer shall electronically transmit the results from each polling unit to the IREV portal, and such transmission shall be done after the prescribed Form EC8A has been signed and stamped by the Presiding Officer and/or countersigned by the candidates or Polling agents where available at the Polling Unit.

“Provided that if the electronic transmission of the result fails as a result of communication failure and it becomes impossible to transmit the result contained in form EC8A, signed and stamped by the Presiding Officer and countersigned by the candidates or polling agents where available at the polling unit, the form EC8A shall remain the primary source of collation and declaration of the result.”

Other key clauses in the rescinded bill which caused uproar in the Chamber are clauses 28 and 84 which address the election notice timeline and the primary election mode.

Clause 28(1) states that: “the Commission shall, not later than 300 days before the day appointed for holding an election under this Bill, publish a notice in each State of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory —(a) stating the date of the election; and (b) appointing the place at which nomination papers are to be delivered.

Clause 28(3) states that, in the case of a by-election, the Commission shall, not later than 14 days before the date appointed for the election,

publish a notice stating the date of the election.

Clause 28(4) provides that there shall not be substitution of candidates in a by-election except where a candidate of a political party in a by-election dies, the party shall submit to the Commission the name of its substitute candidate within seven days of the death of the candidate in the Form prescribed by the Commission.

 

Clause 84 prescribes only the direct and consensus mode of primary election for the nomination of candidates.

“(2) The procedure for the nomination of candidates by

political parties for the various elective positions shall be by

direct primaries or consensus,” it read.

 

Opposition Lawmakers Stage Walkout

 

Meanwhile, some opposition lawmakers staged a walkout of the chambers after the passage of clause 60(3)

The lawmakers led by minority leader, Hon. Kingsley Chinda,  stormed the House of Representatives Media Centre with the chants of “APC, ole! APC, ole (thief)!

Addressing journalists, Chinda rejected the new clause 60(3) and others, which the minority caucus described as anti-people.

 

But briefing journalists, House Spokesman, Hon. Akin Rotimi, said the decisions taken by the House were in the best interest of the country and towards deepening democracy.

 

Rotimi said clause 28, for instance, would address the challenge of voter apathy, which is partly attributed to religious exercises such as fasting during elections.

 

 

Rowdy Session

The House was thrown into a rowdy session after a failed attempt to rescind the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which had already been passed.

Trouble started when the chairman of the Committee on Rules and Business, Francis Waive (APC, Delta), moved a motion seeking to rescind the passage of the bill in line with Order Nine, Rule 1(6) of the House Standing Orders.

 

Moving the motion, Waive said the motion was informed by the need to revisit the legislation to reflect emerging electoral reforms.

 

He urged lawmakers to rescind the earlier decision and recommit the bill to the Committee of the Whole for fresh consideration.

 

The motion was seconded and subsequently put to a voice vote by the Speaker, Abbas Tajudeen, but the majority of the lawmakers voted against it.

 

The outcome sparked protests on the floor, with members openly disagreeing, resulting in a rowdy session that lasted several minutes.

Subsequently, the House dissolved into executive (closed-door) session despite rejection by some members.

 

After the House reconvened, there was another commotion when lawmakers insisted on clause-by-clause reconsideration of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill.

 

Uproar erupted in the House during consideration of the report at the committee of the whole chaired by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu.

 

While the chairman of the committee of the whole (Kalu) chose accelerated consideration (Clauses 1-10) and vice versa, the lawmakers insisted on clause-by-clause.

 

Overwhelmed by the shouts of clause-by-clause! clause-by-clause!, the chairman agreed to the demands of the lawmakers.

 

Pandemonium As Police Fire Teargas At Armless Protesters

There was pandemonium on Tuesday when personnel of the Nigeria Police Force threw canisters of teargas at protesters at the National Assembly main entrance.

 

Trouble started when some protesters who besieged the National Assembly to express their grievances against the Senate’s approval of both electronic transmission and manual collation of election results tried to forcibly enter the building.

 

Following the incident, the protesters, in their hundreds, especially women who were scampering for safety, fell on one after the other, causing panic.

Consequently, two women, aged about 50 and 22 years, respectively, fainted as a result of the tear gas inhalation, while others sustained bruises.

 

No Going Back On Electronic Transmission Of Election Results – Dalung Declares

A former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung has declared that there is no going back on the demand for the electronic transmission of election results in the country.

Dalung stated this when he joined other activists to stage a protest against the Senate’s approval of both electronic transmission and manual collation of election results.

 

Addressing journalists during the protest, the former minister said, “We will sustain this pressure until we get a real-time transmission of results. Nothing less than that.”

 

15 Lawmakers Protest As Senate Again Approves E-transmission, Manual Backup

 

The Senate on Tuesday passed the Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill 2026, following a feeble opposition to Clause 60.

 

The upper chamber resumed proceedings with a demand for a division on Clause 60 raised by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (ADC/Abia South), prompting a rowdy session.

After the tension had been doused, the senators went into a closed-door session but were unable to resolve the issue of reverting to real-time electronic transmission of election results. When they came back, the drama continued.

The conflict of interest and debate intensified until Senator Abaribe again called for a Division.

Recall that the Abia South lawmaker called for a similar division at last week’s emergency plenary but developed cold feet under pressure.

His position caused an uproar and grumblings among the senators until the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, called for calm.

“Whether or not he has done that in the past, it is within his (Abaribe’s) rights to call for it. Let us allow him,” he voiced.

 

Senate President Godswill Akpabio, however, recalled his last attempt at calling for a Division concerning the issue of retaining real-time electronic transmission ended in fiasco, adding that “People were mocking you on social media.”

He stressed that the demand had been previously withdrawn, but several opposition senators immediately objected.

Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, citing Order 52(6) of the Senate Standing Orders, also argued that it would be out of order to revisit any provision already ruled on by the Senate President.

The submission sparked another uproar in the chamber, during which Senator Sunday Karimi briefly confronted Abaribe.

 

Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele reminded lawmakers that he had sponsored the motion for rescission, underscoring that the Senate’s prior decisions were no longer valid.

 

He maintained that Senator Abaribe’s demand was consistent with the motion.

 

Every time Akpabio tried to raise the issue mockingly, Abaribe and a few opposition lawmakers shouted him down.

 

Eventually, the Senate President succumbed to pressure and backed the call to vote to decide the rescission and re-committal of the Electoral Act 2022 Repeal and Enactment Bill 2026.

 

Akpabio ordered that the debate be put to a vote by calling for those in support of the manual backup provision added to the original Electoral Act amendment to signify by raising their hands.

 

A total of 55 lawmakers, including the Senate Deputy Minority Leader, Senator Lere Oyewunmi, stood up and raised their hands high.

 

When the call went out for those who opposed the proviso and the real-time electronic transmission of election results, only Abaribe and his 14 followers responded.

 

Consequently, the ‘ayes’ had it, paving the way for the Senate to approve the e-transmission of results with manual backup for the second time in two weeks.

 

Under the amended proviso, the manually completed and signed EC8A form will constitute the primary basis for collation and declaration of results where electronic transmission is disrupted by network or communication challenges.

 

But before the issue of division came up, it was the same lawmakers who brought up the motion to recommit and reenact what they had done before.

 

What this means is that everything they did before the extraordinary plenary was jettisoned as they started on fresh ground.

 

Despite the clause-by-clause process, the eventual outcome was no different from the one that caused public outrage in the wake of the bill’s passage last week.

 

One of the clauses reviewed was Clause 28, which concerns the likely adjustment of the statutory timeline for issuing the election timetable from 360 days.

 

The Senate also said it met with INEC to avoid conflicts between the election dates and the Ramadan season.

 

But following the crushing defeat, some aggrieved lawmakers who opposed the rejection of real-time transmission of election results walked out of the plenary one by one.

 

Rising under Order 52(6), Senate Leader Bamidele moved to reverse the earlier passage of the bill and return it to the Committee of the Whole.

 

He explained that the motion followed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s announcement that the 2027 general elections would be held in February 2027, after consultations with the National Assembly leadership.

 

Bamidele noted that stakeholders raised concerns that the proposed election date conflicted with the law’s requirement that elections be scheduled at least 360 days before the expiration of tenure, as stipulated in Clause 28. He added that elections during Ramadan could affect voter turnout, logistics, stakeholder participation, and the overall inclusiveness and credibility of the process.

 

The motion also highlighted discrepancies in the bill’s Long Title and multiple clauses, including Clauses 6, 9, 10, 22, 23, 28, 29, 32, 42, 47, 51, 60, 62, 64, 65, 73, 77, 86, 87, 89, 93, and 143.

 

These issues reportedly affected cross-referencing, serial numbering, and internal consistency within the legislation.

 

Addressing the plenary after the drama, Akpabio thanked the senators who voted on both sides of the debate.

 

He said, “Your minority status notwithstanding, you showed overwhelming courage. You proved that democracy works.

“I also want to thank those who voted for the proviso to remain, that you have saved democracy by making sure that we don’t go on continuous reruns and repeats of elections. By ensuring that the primary mode of election results is the form EC8A.

 

“I want to also thank the Senate for introducing electronic transmission of polling unit results through the portal to the IReV, which will now make it possible for election monitors, including foreigners, who monitor our results, who are not able to visit the 176,000 plus polling units in Nigeria, to see the polling unit results dropping into the IReV,” he said

Akpabio, however, remained silent on whether the 2027 presidential election date had been shifted from the earlier February 20 to January 13.

 

Senate Amends Bill To Make INEC Adjust Election Timetable

The Senate had rescinded and recommitted the Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill, 2026, citing concerns over the timing of the 2027 general elections and technical inconsistencies in the legislation.

Rising under Order 52(6) of the Senate Standing Orders, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central) moved the motion to reverse the earlier passage of the bill and return it to the Committee of the Whole for fresh deliberations.

 

Bamidele explained that the development followed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ‘s announcement of a timetable that fixes the 2027 general elections for February 2027, after consultations with the leadership of the National Assembly.

 

He stated that stakeholders had raised concerns that the proposed date conflicts with provisions of the amended law, particularly the requirement that elections be scheduled not later than 360 days before the expiration of tenure.

 

The Ekiti Central lawmaker noted that upon critical review of the passed bill, the 360-day notice requirement prescribed in Clause 28 could result in the scheduling of the 2027 Presidential and National Assembly elections during the Ramadan period.

 

According to him, holding elections during Ramadan could negatively affect voter turnout, logistical coordination, stakeholder participation, and the overall inclusiveness and credibility of the electoral process.

 

2027: Nigerians Won’t Accept Non-Credible Elections, Says Ezekwesili

Former Minister of Education Obi Ezekwesili has declared that Nigerians will not accept any election that lacks credibility, warning that the 2027 general elections must not undermine the country’s democracy.

 

Speaking on behalf of what she described as a “credible election team,” Ezekwesili said the group had come together to make it clear that citizens are prepared to resist any attempt to manipulate the electoral process.

“The summary point this morning is that any election that lacks credibility will not be acceptable to the Nigerian people,” she said. “2027 must not mark the end of our democracy.”

 

Sowore Calls For Nationwide Action

Nigerian activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has intensified his call for nationwide demonstrations over issues surrounding the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2026, urging young Nigerians to strengthen their demand for political reform and accountability.

He made the call during a peaceful protest at the National Assembly in Abuja on Tuesday. Sowore commended supporters for their commitment but emphasised that the movement must expand significantly to achieve meaningful results.

He maintained that genuine reform cannot be secured through a single tactic, calling instead for broader civic engagement and coordinated grassroots efforts.

 

Sowore encouraged citizens to challenge the political system through multiple channels, including active participation in elections and sustained public advocacy.

 Ameachi, Opposition Leaders’ Protests Are Grandstanding, Not Genuine Advocacy – Wike

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has condemned opposition figures participating in recent protests demanding electronic transmission of election results, describing their actions as nothing more than grandstanding and political deception.

Speaking at the 26th Annual Distinguished Personality Lecture of the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Abuja, the former Rivers State governor took particular aim at his successor, Rotimi Amaechi, ridiculing the former minister for appearing at a protest line alongside his son, a medical doctor.

Delivering a lecture with the title “The Impact of Political Leadership on Infrastructural Development in Nigeria: Between Dividends of Democracy and Good Governance,” Wike tore into what he called the theatrical displays of opposition leaders, questioning the sincerity of Amaechi’s much-publicised gesture.

“Amaechi said he came with his son, who is a medical doctor, to treat anyone who might be injured. But where was the ambulance? Where was the medical equipment? You cannot treat people with empty hands,” he said.

The FCT minister characterised the move as a calculated attempt to manipulate public sentiment, insisting that genuine leadership demands concrete action rather than carefully staged performances designed to deceive Nigerian youth.

Wike argued that the sudden embrace of electronic transmission by Amaechi and other opposition figures represents textbook political opportunism, noting that many of today’s vocal protesters were conspicuously silent about electoral reforms while occupying influential government positions.

“When they are out of office, they suddenly become the voice of the people,” Wike said.

He dismissed the current agitation as fundamentally transactional, suggesting the opposition’s interest lies not in strengthening democratic processes but in crafting rules that would facilitate their return to power.

Addressing students directly, Wike urged them to remain vigilant against political manipulation.

“The dividends of democracy are not found in protest slogans but in the hard work of building infrastructure and resilient institutions,” he emphasised.

The minister defended the Bola Tinubu administration’s approach, describing it as one of purposeful leadership willing to make difficult, unpopular decisions today to secure a better tomorrow for all Nigerians.

Turning to his stewardship of the FCT, Wike defended ongoing reforms and demolitions as a necessary equilibrium between legality and compassion.

He argued that meaningful democracy must be underpinned by firm law enforcement and tangible infrastructure development.

The minister insisted his administration remains committed to restoring Abuja’s original master plan while ensuring development reaches satellite towns. Addressing the contentious issue of urban renewal and removal of illegal structures, Wike maintained that a city without order cannot serve its people.

“Legality has been balanced with compassion, and discipline pursued not as punishment, but as a prerequisite for shared prosperity,” Wike stated.

He described the FCT as a laboratory for democratic governance, where the focus has shifted from political rituals to massive investment in road networks and the revival of abandoned projects.

Wike further said that infrastructure represents the most honest measure of governance, political education rendered in physical form.

“When citizens see functional roads, schools and hospitals, they begin to trust the state,” he said.

Wike praised President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, citing the removal of the fuel subsidy as an example of uncommon resolve.

Such difficult decisions, though temporarily painful, are essential for freeing resources for long-term development and halting the nation’s spiral toward unsustainable debt, he argued.

The minister did not mince words regarding Nigeria’s developmental challenges, echoing Chinua Achebe’s famous diagnosis that the nation’s fundamental problem remains a failure of leadership.

He criticised past self-serving arrangements that produced leaders lacking preparation and character.

“Nations are not built by resources alone; they are built by the quality of leadership that gives direction,” Wike said.

The minister challenged academics and youth to transcend cynicism, and that progress materialises only when purposeful leadership encounters responsible followership.

Reminding the university community of its role as the conscience of the nation, Wike urged the institution to remain a space where truth is spoken to power and future leaders are refined through ethical commitment and critical thinking.

He said that democracy represents a social contract whose credibility is measured not at the ballot box, but in the quality of life it sustains for ordinary citizens.

Event chairman, Prof. Aminu Ibrahim Gusau encouraged the minister to remain focused on developing the territory, while Chief Host and Vice Chancellor Prof. Hakeem Fawehinmi, who praised Wike’s visionary leadership, specifically requested development of roads and ancillary projects within the university and its staff quarters.

Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and convener of the lecture series, Prof. Mutiullah Olasupo, stressed the imperative of courageous leadership at all levels of governance.