President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, on Tuesday, disclosed that President Bola Tinubu is expected to sign the amended Electoral Act into law by February, despite intensifying public outcry and nationwide protests over the controversial removal of the phrase “real-time” from clauses on electronic transmission of election results.
It was reports that Akpabio made the disclosure during Tuesday’s Senate plenary, while announcing an expansion of the Senate’s conference committee from nine to 12 members to align with the House of Representatives’ own delegation.
“We have raised our numbers from nine to twelve to match the figures from our colleagues in the House of Reps. We expect everything to be done in the next few days or in a week. The President is expected to sign this into law in February,” Akpabio stated.
The Senate President’s remarks come as protests under the banner of #OccupyNASS continued at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, drawing civil society groups, opposition figures and human rights activists demanding electoral transparency.
Among those at the protest was Omoyele Sowore, former presidential candidate and leader of the African Action Congress (AAC), who accused the political elite of pushing regressive laws that undermine electoral credibility.
“This is an exposition that already existed. It is not new. That is why it is a surprise to everyone that this provision was yanked away from the Electoral Act that Akpabio and his friends are trying to put in place,” Sowore said.
He warned that Nigeria’s political class fears transparent processes that would expose their unpopularity.
“These people cannot win in free and fair elections. But the people have a duty to demand processes that guarantee free, legal and transparent elections,” he added.
‘I Prefer Electronic Voting, Not Just Transmission’ — Sowore
While public concern has centred on the removal of “real-time” electronic transmission, Sowore said the focus should be expanded to electronic voting, insisting that election integrity begins at the point of voting, not just result collation.
He said, “My preference is not even electronic transmission of results, because what gets transmitted at the end of the day is what has already been manipulated. I am more interested in electronic voting.
“Whatever people think in their minds that can protect the integrity of their votes, we must defend and support it.”
Sowore also criticised the heavy security deployment at the protest venue, describing it as intimidation against citizens exercising constitutional rights.
He further stated, “It is their job to protect the country, not to attack peaceful protesters. I have warned them that if they try that, they are starting something they cannot predict how it will end.”
He noted the growing frustration among Nigerians, urging security forces to act professionally and avoid escalating tensions.
“Nigerians are very angry at this time, but security agents have a duty to maintain law and order, nothing more, nothing less,” he said.
Reaffirming his revolutionary stance, Sowore rejected gradual reforms, arguing that Nigeria’s problems demand sweeping political change.
Sowore added, “I’m not for baby steps. I’m a revolutionary. Nothing other than revolution will solve this problem. That has always been my position.”
He described the protest at the National Assembly as a reflection of rising political consciousness among Nigerians.
He stated, “When we arrived here, you could tell this place was filled with silent revolutionaries. The giants in them began to awaken when they saw that we were together.”
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