![Hon. Festus Keyamo SAN arrives MMIA past 11:50 p.m. Feb 23 to lead oversight of Terminal 1 fire. Joined FAAN MD & team actively managing situation. Directed morning inspection Tuesday to guide restoration & confirm safety standards. Reaffirmed focus on passenger safety. Story: [link] #KeyamoMMIA #FireIncident #FAAN](https://fullcliphq.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/mym-150x150.jpg "MMIA Fire: Keyamo Inspects Lagos Airport After Terminal 1 Blaze Disrupts Flights")
Former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi joined the Occupy National Assembly protest in Abuja on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, to demand mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results in the ongoing amendments to the Electoral Act 2022.
Amaechi, now a member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), attended the demonstration with his son, a medical doctor, whom he brought along in case the protest turned violent.
Speaking to reporters at the National Assembly gate, Amaechi said he wanted to demonstrate that leaders should be at the forefront during major protests, alongside their families. He alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) opposes real-time electronic transmission because it fears losing elections.
“I believe that the opposition parties should come out — PDP, ADC, everybody should be out — to protest against the attempt of one party,” Amaechi said. “If we come out, and they say the opposition has hijacked (the protest), what is APC doing? Are they not hijacking? What are they afraid of? I thought they said they have 31 governors. Tinubu is not Jonathan. The only way a good politician will know he has done well is by the people.”
He questioned why the APC would fear transparency, despite having multiple governors and recent defections to the party. Amaechi vowed that opposition parties and civil society would persist until the Senate reverses its decision to remove “real-time” transmission from the amendment bill.
The protest, which began on Monday, February 9, 2026, was sparked by the Senate’s passage of the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Reenactment) Amendment Bill through third reading on February 4, 2026. Lawmakers removed the phrase “real-time” transmission, retaining discretionary language that allows INEC to prescribe the method of result transmission. Protesters insist this creates loopholes for manipulation and must be corrected before harmonisation with the House version.
The demonstration was led by human rights activist Aisha Yusuf and included civil society organisations, ADC members, women’s groups, and other citizens. Participants marched from the Federal Secretariat to the National Assembly entrance, carrying placards and chanting for electoral integrity. A heavy security presence from the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps barricaded roads leading to the complex, but organisers stated the protest would remain at the gate.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has threatened mass action over the issue. The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) also urged the National Assembly to make real-time transmission compulsory, warning that failure to do so would erode public trust and increase election disputes.
Nigeria’s Electoral Act History
Nigeria’s electoral framework has evolved through several key laws:
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1999 Constitution (as amended): Provides the foundation for elections, vesting INEC with powers to conduct federal, state, and local polls.
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Electoral Act 2006: Governed elections from 2007 to 2011. Criticised for manual processes and high levels of result manipulation.
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Electoral Act 2010: Introduced improvements, including early voter registration, but still lacked mandatory electronic transmission.
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Electoral Act 2022: Signed by President Muhammadu Buhari on February 25, 2022. It introduced BVAS for accreditation but left electronic transmission to the IReV portal as discretionary (“as prescribed by the Commission”).
The 2022 Act was seen as a step forward for technology but fell short of mandating real-time transmission—a demand from civil society since 2018.
Senate Emergency Session on February 10, 2026
The Senate reconvened in an emergency plenary session on February 10, 2026, to address the controversy. Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe and colleagues held a media briefing insisting the Senate had approved electronic transmission, and that “real-time” was deliberately chosen to avoid ambiguity. However, procedural records show that on February 4, the term “transmission” was replaced with “transfer,” following contributions from Senate leadership.
The Senate has not yet adopted the Votes and Proceedings from February 4 – a procedural step required before harmonisation with the House version can occur. Protesters and civil society groups continue to demand explicit mandatory real-time transmission to prevent manipulation and restore trust ahead of 2027 elections.
