NLC to Senate: Make e-transmission compulsory or face mass action

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has warned that it may organise nationwide protests or boycott future elections if the Electoral Act is not amended to make real-time electronic transmission of election results compulsory.

In a statement issued on Sunday, NLC President, Joe Ajaero, said the law must clearly direct the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to transmit results electronically from polling units in real time.

He warned that any lack of clarity would further damage public trust in Nigeria’s electoral system.

The warning comes after the Senate rejected, on February 4, a proposal that sought to make real-time electronic transmission of results mandatory while debating the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2026.

Although the Senate retained provisions on electronic transmission from the Electoral Act 2022, the current law does not force INEC to transmit results in real time.

This means manual transmission and collation of results can still be used, even with INEC’s Result Viewing Portal (IReV) in place.

The rejected amendment aimed to make electronic transmission compulsory, ensure real-time uploads, and directly link results to IReV. Its rejection has sparked public anger and increased distrust in the electoral process.

Reacting to the development, Ajaero said organised labour was concerned about what he described as confusion and conflicting explanations from the Senate regarding the final content of the amended law.

He called on the National Assembly to clearly state what provisions were eventually adopted.

He said Nigerians deserve an electoral system where votes are not only counted but are clearly seen to be counted.

According to the NLC, available public records show that the proposal for mandatory real-time electronic transmission was rejected, while discretionary provisions were kept.

The Congress said this decision has caused fear and uncertainty, especially after the controversies surrounding the 2023 general elections.

The NLC insisted that the final version of the amended Electoral Act must contain clear and enforceable provisions requiring INEC to transmit and collate results electronically in real time.
Ajaero warned that if this demand is ignored, organised labour would mobilise Nigerians.

He said failure to include real-time electronic transmission in the law would lead to mass protests before, during, and after elections, or even a total boycott of the electoral process.

According to him, Nigeria must choose transparency and credibility to avoid a repeat of past election-related confusion.