The Obidient Movement Worldwide has warned of a possible mass protest against the National Assembly following the Senate’s stance on real-time electronic transmission of election results, saying the decision could weaken public confidence in the 2027 general elections.
The group’s National Coordinator, Yunusa Tanko, made this known in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday, noting that while no specific date had been fixed, preparations for a nationwide demonstration were underway.
The development comes after the Senate declined an amendment to Clause 70(3) of the Electoral Amendment Bill that sought to make electronic transmission of results from polling units mandatory.
Explaining the position of the upper chamber earlier, Senate President Godswill Akpabio said lawmakers did not reject electronic transmission outright but retained the current provision in the Electoral Act.
The law states that presiding officers are to transfer results, including details of accredited voters and ballots cast, using a method prescribed by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
In a statement titled Obidient Movement Rejects Non-Passage of Electronic Transmission of Results, Calls for March to National Assembly, Tanko criticised the Senate’s decision, describing it as a move that could sustain manual collation and undermine electoral transparency.
He argued that the decision represents a setback for electoral reforms and threatens democratic accountability, stressing that Nigerians have consistently demanded credible and technology-driven election processes.
According to him, failing to make electronic transmission compulsory could erode public trust and reopen controversies that trailed the 2023 general elections, particularly disputes linked to result collation and transmission.
Tanko further accused the political class of prioritising vested interests over democratic progress and questioned why technological tools used in party processes are not fully adopted for national elections.
He also alleged double standards by the ruling All Progressives Congress, claiming the party supports digital processes internally while resisting broader electoral transparency measures.
The movement, however, said its planned action would be peaceful, calling on Nigerians to join in demanding urgent legislative reconsideration of the matter.
It urged the National Assembly to reconvene and pass a law mandating real-time electronic transmission of results to the INEC Result Viewing portal, insisting that such reforms are necessary to safeguard the credibility of future elections.
“A stitch in time saves nine. A New Nigeria is Possible,” the statement added.
