NLC threatens nationwide protests, election boycott over real-time e-transmission

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has threatened to embark on nationwide mass action and possibly boycott future elections if the National Assembly fails to make real-time electronic transmission of results mandatory in the amended Electoral Act.

The labour union issued the warning on Sunday amid growing controversy over the Senate’s handling of proposed amendments to the 2022 Electoral Act, particularly provisions relating to the electronic transmission and collation of election results by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In a statement titled “The Senate must come clean now: Electoral integrity at stake!” and signed by its President, Joe Ajaero, the NLC accused the Senate of creating confusion through what it described as contradictory explanations about the status of electronic result transmission.

According to Ajaero, the uncertainty surrounding the amendment has eroded public confidence in the electoral process and raised fresh concerns about transparency ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“The confusion and contradictory narratives emerging from the Senate regarding the amendment to the 2022 Electoral Act are deeply troubling and undermine public trust,” he said. “The Nigerian people deserve a transparent electoral process where their votes are not only counted but seen to be counted.”

The NLC noted that available legislative records showed that a proposal seeking to compel INEC to transmit election results electronically and in real time was rejected, leaving the commission with discretionary powers instead. It said subsequent clarifications by lawmakers had only deepened public apprehension, especially following the disputed 2023 general elections.

“At this critical juncture, such legislative ambiguity risks institutionalising doubt at the heart of our electoral integrity and echoes past controversies that have caused national distress,” Ajaero warned.

The congress demanded that the Senate immediately provide a clear explanation of the exact provisions passed, including the final wording of the amendment and the rationale behind its decision on electronic transmission.

It also urged the leadership of the National Assembly to ensure that the harmonisation process between the Senate and the House of Representatives produces “crystal-clear provisions” that eliminate any loopholes in the transmission and collation of results.

“Any ambiguity in the transmission and collation of results is a disservice to our democracy,” the statement read.

The labour body stressed that the path to the 2027 elections must be anchored on transparency and certainty, warning that failure to guarantee real-time electronic transmission could trigger nationwide protests.

“We will not stand by while the trust of Nigerians is betrayed again and the clarity of our electoral laws compromised. Failure to add real-time electronic transmission will lead to mass action before, during and after the election, or total boycott of the election,” Ajaero said.

The NLC added that workers and citizens across the country were closely monitoring developments and vowed to mobilise its nationwide structures to defend electoral integrity.

“Our nation must choose the path of clarity and integrity. The time for honest, people-focused legislation is now,” the congress stated.