Civil society leaders address journalists in Abuja over concerns on Nigeria’s amended Electoral Act.
Nigeria’s Civil Society Situation Room has criticised the fast-tracked presidential assent to amendments to the Electoral Act, warning that the changes weaken transparency in election result management.
At a news conference in Abuja on Friday, Mma Odi, Co-Convener of the group, said the law failed to make electronic transmission of results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) mandatory, despite repeated public demands for stronger safeguards.
She said the omission sends the wrong signal at a time Nigerians are calling for deeper electoral reforms and stronger democratic institutions.
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According to the coalition, electronic transmission is a key accountability tool for credible elections. It warned that making the process dependent on network availability creates room for abuse, weakens verification and could erode public trust.
The group cited Supreme Court rulings in Oyetola v. INEC and Atiku v. INEC, which held that the Electoral Act 2022 did not expressly mandate electronic transmission, arguing that lawmakers missed a chance to close the gap.
The coalition called for an urgent legislative review and announced plans for further advocacy, including a National Day of Action.
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