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.

Ahead of its 2026 National Convention, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has removed Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, as chairman of its Convention Planning Committee and replaced him with former Katsina State governor, Aminu Bello Masari.

Uzodimma has been reassigned to serve as treasurer following the reconstitution of the party’s National Convention Central Coordination Committee.

The APC also expanded the committee’s membership from 73 to 90 members to accommodate more stakeholders and party leaders.

Among the newly included members are Senator Barry Mpigi and other prominent APC figures. Party officials said the restructuring reflects zoning arrangements and strategic political considerations as preparations intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Although no official reason was provided for the changes, political observers believe the move is part of ongoing internal realignments within the party.

The House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee has summoned the chairmen of the six area councils in the Federal Capital Territory over alleged financial infractions exceeding ₦100 billion uncovered in audit reports submitted by the Auditor-General.

The affected councils include Abaji, Abuja Municipal Area Council, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali. Findings from the audit for the year ending December 31, 2021 revealed widespread cases of unremitted tax and VAT deductions, poor asset documentation and expenditures that were not properly accounted for.

According to the report, the councils recorded outstanding liabilities totalling ₦7.65 billion, covering unremitted pension deductions, Pay-As-You-Earn, unpaid project obligations, VAT and withholding taxes owed to relevant authorities, including the Nigeria Revenue Service, FCT Inland Revenue Service, pension fund administrators and contractors.

A breakdown showed that AMAC had liabilities of ₦2.19 billion, Bwari ₦1.49 billion, Kwali ₦1.46 billion, Gwagwalada ₦1.01 billion, Kuje ₦892.2 million and Abaji ₦593.8 million.

The audit also faulted the councils for failing to maintain updated Fixed Asset Registers, noting that non-current assets worth ₦336 million in Gwagwalada alone were poorly documented.

The report further raised concerns about ₦24.87 billion spent in 2021 on personnel, overheads and capital projects.

Despite an 89 per cent increase in expenditure compared to 2020, the councils reportedly failed to properly account for 37 per cent of funds allocated to capital projects.

Additional audit findings for 2022 and part of 2023 highlighted breaches including understatement of internally generated revenue, unauthorised disposal of assets, non-disclosure of statutory income and failure to remit withholding taxes.

Chairman of the committee, Rep. Bamidele Salam, confirmed that the council chairmen and their finance directors had been invited to appear before the panel on February 11, 2026, to respond to the audit queries.

He warned that failure to honour the summons could lead to the invocation of the House’s constitutional powers, including ordering their arrest.

Salam also disclosed that the councils failed to audit and submit financial statements for 2023, 2024 and 2025, stressing that public funds must be managed with transparency and accountability, and that any official found culpable would face appropriate sanctions under the law.

A former Rivers State chairman of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Apostle Eugene Ogu, has petitioned the United States, the United Nations, and the international community over the National Assembly’s refusal to approve direct electronic transmission of election results in real time.

Ogu described the stance of the federal legislature as a serious threat to Nigeria’s democracy, urging global institutions to intervene and support efforts to safeguard transparent electoral processes.

In a petition made public in Port Harcourt on Friday, the cleric also called on the European Union and pro-democracy organisations worldwide to take a stand against what he termed anti-people tendencies within Nigeria’s political system.

He warned that actions capable of undermining credible elections could destabilise the country and insisted that only a transparent process anchored on compulsory electronic transmission of results would reflect the will of the people.

According to him, Nigerians have endured poor governance outcomes linked to corruption, weak institutions, and lack of accountability, stressing that the National Assembly must not compromise the country’s democratic future.

Ogu alleged that the Senate’s refusal to pass legislation supporting real-time electronic transmission could open the door to electoral manipulation ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

He appealed to international partners, labour unions, student bodies, professional associations, and religious organisations to mount pressure on Nigerian authorities to pass the bill into law.

The cleric also urged foreign governments to reconsider granting travel privileges to Nigerian politicians until electoral reforms that guarantee credible elections are implemented.

Ogu further cautioned Senate President Godswill Akpabio and lawmakers against trivialising the matter, warning that failure to ensure transparent elections could expose the electoral umpire and security agencies to heightened tension during future polls.

He maintained that Nigeria’s greatest democratic legacy would be the establishment of a free, fair, and credible electoral system that reflects the genuine choice of citizens.

The faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has announced that the party’s national secretariat at Wadata Plaza in Abuja will be reopened on Monday.

Acting National Secretary of the party, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, made the disclosure after the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) quarterly meeting with leaders of political parties in Abuja.

The PDP secretariat had been sealed by the Nigeria Police on November 19, 2025, following a leadership crisis that triggered clashes between supporters of the Taminu Turaki-led National Working Committee and those loyal to factional acting National Chairman, Abdulrahman Mohammed.

Anyanwu said the party had formally written to the police over the matter, adding that a court case instituted by a rival group seeking to reopen the secretariat was dismissed.

“The police sealed the office, and the other group went to court, but the case was dismissed for lack of locus. By Monday, we will take possession of the secretariat,” he said.

He maintained that the PDP remained united under the leadership of the National Caretaker Committee headed by Abdulrahman Mohammed, insisting that there was no faction within the party.

According to him, a recent Federal High Court ruling in Ibadan declared the convention held on November 15 and 16, 2025, invalid and affirmed that no other group should parade itself as the party’s National Working Committee.

Anyanwu expressed optimism that stability had returned to the PDP and assured members that the party would field candidates in all upcoming elections.

He also said the interim caretaker committee would intensify preparations for the forthcoming FCT area council elections, noting that campaigns would continue until the February 18 deadline.

On the registration of two new political parties by INEC, Anyanwu described the development as positive for Nigeria’s democracy, saying it expands political participation and competition.