Obidient Movement Threatens Protest Over Senate’s Rejection of Mandatory Electronic Election Transmission

The Obidient Movement Worldwide has threatened to stage a mass protest at the National Assembly following the Senate’s decision to reject a proposal for mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Friday, the group’s National Coordinator, Yunusa Tanko, warned that the Senate’s move could undermine the credibility of future elections, including the 2027 general polls. No specific date was announced for the proposed demonstration.

The controversy stems from the Senate’s rejection of an amendment to Clause 70(3) of the Electoral Amendment Bill, which would have made electronic transmission compulsory. Senate President Godswill Akpabio clarified that the chamber did not reject electronic transmission outright but retained the existing provision of the Electoral Act, which gives the electoral commission discretion over the mode of result transfer.

Tanko described the decision as a “deliberate and unforgivable act of electoral manipulation” that would sustain manual collation of results. He said it represents a setback to electoral reform and erodes public trust in the democratic process.

The group linked the Senate’s action to the disputes and alleged irregularities that marred the 2023 general elections, which were partly attributed to failures in the electronic result transmission system.

In its statement, titled “Obidient Movement Rejects Non-Passage of Electronic Transmission of Results,” the movement called for an emergency sitting of the National Assembly to revisit the issue. It also accused the ruling All Progressives Congress of hypocrisy for using electronic systems in internal party affairs while opposing their mandatory use in national elections.

The Obidient Movement has urged Nigerians to join a peaceful march to the National Assembly to demand the passage of mandatory real-time electronic transmission of results to INEC’s Results Viewing Portal.