MCE LEADERS REJECT SENATE’S REMOVAL OF ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION CLAUSE, ENDORSE ‘OCCUPY NASS’ PROTEST 

A coalition of prominent political activists under the banner of the Movement for Credible Elections (MCE) has strongly condemned the decision of the Senate to remove the provision for mandatory electronic transmission of election results from the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2026, describing the move as a deliberate attempt to undermine credible elections in Nigeria.

In a press statement issued on Saturday, and signed by Comrade James Ezema, Media Coordinator of the Movement for Credible Elections, on Saturday, February 7, 2026, the newly launched coalition said the Senate’s action represents a direct assault on Nigerians’ constitutional right to freely choose their leaders, warning that the decision threatens the integrity of the 2027 general elections.

According to the coalition, by rejecting the mandatory electronic transmission of results from polling units, the National Assembly has chosen “opacity over transparency, manipulation over credibility, and elite conspiracy over the sovereign will of the people.”

MCE described electronic transmission of results as a minimum safeguard against ballot tampering, result rewriting, and post-election fraud, insisting that there is no justifiable reason to oppose it other than fear of the genuine votes and mandate of the electorate.

“This is not lawmaking; it is deliberate democratic sabotage,” the group stated, adding that any legislature that blocks electronic transmission is openly defending a system that thrives on electoral corruption, stolen mandates, and manufactured elections.

The coalition warned that the Senate’s decision would allow the continued manipulation of results between polling units and collation centres during the 2027 elections, further deepening voter apathy and undermining public confidence in the electoral process.

MCE also argued that the failure to ensure transparent election outcomes has rewarded impunity and electoral fraud, while enabling the courts to become tools for mandate purchase by powerful interests rather than institutions for the protection of the rule of law.

The coalition described the action of the lawmakers as evidence of elite state capture and an unwillingness of the political class to submit themselves to transparent competition, noting that technological transparency exposes corrupt electoral practices entrenched since 1999.

The Movement for Credible Elections described itself as a non-partisan, inclusive citizens’ movement comprising youths, women, persons with disabilities, workers, professionals, grassroots communities, civil society organisations, faith-based groups, and Nigerians in the diaspora, united by the principle that every vote must count and be protected.

The coalition is convened by a group of eminent activists, including Comrade Ayuba Wabba, Dr Usman Bugaje, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), Dr Oby Ezekwesili, Prof Pat Utomi, Dr Bilikisu Magoro, Ambassador Nkoyo Toyo, Comrade Shehu Sanni, Comrade Ene Obi, and veteran activist Olawale Okunniyi, among others.

MCE emphasised that it is not beholden to any political party or politician, stressing that the movement belongs to Nigerian citizens whose votes have been consistently rigged or stolen since the return to democracy in 1999.

As part of its demands, the coalition called on the National Assembly to immediately reinstate and pass the mandatory electronic transmission clause in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2026. It also demanded that lawmakers who opposed the provision be publicly identified and compelled to explain their positions to Nigerians, as well as account for their use of legislative powers over the past 26 years of democratic governance.

In response to the Senate’s action, MCE endorsed the “Occupy NASS” mass protest scheduled for Monday, February 9, 2026, in Abuja, calling on its partners and allies to mobilise and participate in a peaceful civic action to resist what it described as a rollback to manual manipulation of election results.

The coalition also confirmed plans to address the global community in Lagos on Monday, February 9, on the consequences of another compromised election in Nigeria, while urging Nigerians across the country—students, workers, traders, professionals, women, youths, community leaders, the media, and the international community—to speak out and be counted in the protests.

Additionally, MCE advocated the adoption of a Voters Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) alongside electronic transmission of results, citing India’s electoral system as a global best practice, and warned that democracy collapses when votes are allowed to be stolen.

“Democracy dies when votes are stolen. It is time to end electoral rigging in Nigeria,” the statement concluded.