NLC threatens mass action, election boycott over real-time result transmission
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has warned of nationwide protests and a possible boycott of future elections if the amendment to the Electoral Act fails to mandate the real-time electronic transmission of results.
In a statement released on Sunday, Joe Ajaero, president of the labour union, said the amended law must clearly compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to electronically transmit and collate election results from polling units in real time.
Ajaero said anything short of an explicit legal requirement would undermine confidence in the electoral process and deepen public distrust.
On February 4, the Senate of Nigeria rejected a proposal seeking to make real-time electronic transmission of election results compulsory while debating the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
Instead, lawmakers retained the existing provision under the Electoral Act, 2022, which allows for electronic transmission of results but does not make it mandatory or time-bound. Under the current framework, manual collation remains permissible, despite the existence of INEC’s Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
The proposed amendment had aimed to remove this discretion by requiring results to be transmitted electronically, in real time, directly to IReV. Its rejection has sparked widespread criticism and renewed concerns about electoral transparency.
Reacting to the development, Ajaero said the labour congress was troubled by what he described as “conflicting explanations” from the senate regarding the final outcome of the amendment process.
He demanded immediate clarification on the exact provisions adopted by lawmakers, insisting that Nigerians deserve certainty, not ambiguity.
“The Nigerian people deserve an electoral process where votes are not only counted but are clearly seen to be counted,” the statement said.
Ajaero noted that public records indicate that the proposal for mandatory real-time transmission was dropped, while subsequent explanations from lawmakers have only heightened confusion.
He warned that legislative uncertainty at this stage risks reopening unresolved controversies from past elections and could damage the credibility of future polls, particularly ahead of the 2027 general election.
The NLC president said the National Assembly must ensure that the final version of the amended law contains clear and enforceable provisions on result transmission and collation.
He added that failure to do so would leave workers and citizens with no option but to respond.
According to Ajaero, the labour movement is already mobilising its networks nationwide and will not hesitate to take action if the amendment process concludes without a binding real-time transmission requirement.
“Failure to include electronic real-time transmission will result in mass action before, during and after elections, or a total boycott of the polls,” the statement said.
He urged lawmakers to avoid repeating the confusion that trailed recent tax law amendments, warning that electoral credibility must not be sacrificed.
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