The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has threatened to initiate nationwide protests and election boycotts, citing frustration over the Senate’s vague and conflicting stance on the Electoral Act amendments, specifically concerning the electronic transmission of results.
The union’s president, Joe Ajaero, issued a stern statement on Sunday, asserting that the Senate’s failure to mandate electronic transmission has severely damaged public confidence.
“The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) expresses deep concern over the confusion and contradictory narratives emerging from the Senate regarding the amendment to the 2022 Electoral Act, particularly on electronic transmission of results,” Ajaero stated.
The NLC argued that without absolute transparency, the integrity of Nigeria’s democracy is at risk, noting that “Nigerians deserve a transparent system where votes are not only counted but seen to be counted.”
The labor body pointed out that while the public expected mandatory real-time electronic transmission, the Senate appears to have kept the discretionary rules currently in place.
According to the statement, “This has generated nationwide apprehension, and subsequent explanations have only added to the confusion.”
The NLC warned that such “legislative ambiguity” so soon after the 2023 elections risks making public doubt a permanent feature of the electoral system.
Demanding an “immediate, official, and unambiguous account” of exactly what was passed, the NLC called on the leadership of the National Assembly to ensure the final bill is perfectly clear.
They stressed that “any ambiguity in the transmission and collation of results is a disservice to our democracy.”
The Congress made it clear that anything less than a mandatory requirement for real-time transmission would result in severe consequences.
“Failure to add electronic transmission in real-time will lead to mass action before, during and after the election or total boycott of the election,” the NLC cautioned, adding that “Nigerian workers and citizens are watching closely.”
Drawing a comparison to recent legislative controversies, the union concluded, “Our nation must choose the path of clarity and integrity. We need to avoid the same confusion that trailed the new Tax Acts. The time for honest, people-focused legislation is now.”
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