Lawmakers under pressure as protest continues at NASS over e-transmission

…N’Assembly approves N1.5trn Army budget

Protesters returned to the gates of the National Assembly on Monday, mounting pressure on Lawmakers to make real-time electronic transmission of election results mandatory in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.

The Protesters, drawn from civil society groups, including Situation Room Nigeria and ActionAid Nigeria, insisted that manual collation of results should be completely removed from the electoral process to prevent manipulation at collation centres.

They argued that full transparency can only be guaranteed if results are transmitted electronically in real time from polling units, without any fallback to manual procedures.

Read also: 2027: Mandatory e-transmission your only survival ticket, Igini tells lawmakers

They also maintained that there was no justification for retaining manual backups, noting that funds allocated for elections already cover the technological infrastructure required for electronic transmission of results.

The protest comes amid recent controversy in the Senate over Clause 60(3) of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.

Last Tuesday, the Senate approved electronic transmission of results to INEC’s Result Viewing Portal but retained manual collation as a backup in the event of technical failures.

However, the House, had approved real-time transmission of results. Protetsers want the House version adopted and have vowed that they would not back down until real-time electronic transmission of election results is fully guaranteed in the amended law.

The Senate and House of Representatives are scheduled to reconvene on Tuesday, 17 February, at 11 a.m. to consider electoral matters including the amendment law.

National Assembly approves N1.5trn Nigerian army budget

Meanwhile, the National Assembly Joint Committee on Army has approved a N1.5 trillion budget for the Nigerian Army for 2026 after expressing satisfaction with the proposal and promising to ensure timely release of funds for its execution.

Abdulaziz Yar’Adua, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, announced this after a joint budget defence session with Waidi Shaibu, chief of Army Staff, in Abuja.

“After listening to the presentation of the Chief of Army Staff, all members have expressed satisfaction with it. However, all members of the joint committee also agreed that the major issue is the delay in the release of funds, a matter which is affecting all other MDAs.

“But I want to assure the Chief of Army Staff that we are committed to collaborating with him to succeed. The army is so critical in our life as a nation, and we would support you with everything that you need,” he said.

Read also: Lawmakers risk losing seats if real-time result transmission is weakened, Igini warns

Aminu Balele, Chairman of the House Committee on Army, commended Shaibu and his officers and men for what what he termed their patriotism and commitment in the fight against insurgency and the protection of the nation’s territorial integrity.

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