Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria — Members of Nigeria’s House of Representatives have apologised to demonstrators who were affected by tear gas discharged at the National Assembly complex earlier this week, describing the incident as regrettable and pledging a review of what happened.
The apology was delivered on Thursday by Akin Rotimi, the official spokesperson of the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of Nigeria’s National Assembly, which is the country’s federal legislature. He spoke at a press conference in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city, where lawmakers and civil society organisations gathered to review the recently signed Electoral Act 2026.
The Electoral Act governs how national and state elections are conducted in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country. The latest amendment has sparked debate, especially over whether election results should be transmitted electronically in real time.
The event was organised by the Kukah Centre, a Nigerian policy and advocacy organisation founded by Catholic Bishop Matthew Kukah; Yiaga Africa, a civic group focused on democracy and governance; the International Press Centre; TAF Africa; the Centre for Media and Society; the Nigerian Women Trust Fund; and ElectHer, all of which are civil society organisations working on governance and inclusion issues in Nigeria.
Earlier in the week, officers of the Nigeria Police Force faced criticism after firing tear gas at protesters who had gathered at the National Assembly complex on Tuesday, February 17, 2026. The demonstrators were calling for the mandatory inclusion of real-time electronic transmission of election results in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, 2026.
The protest resumed after a five-day suspension. Protesters said they had paused their action following assurances reportedly given during a previous sitting of the National Assembly.
Addressing the incident, Rotimi said, “I would like to express my sympathy with all those who were affected by the tear gas incident at the National Assembly the other day.
“It’s something that the House of Representatives’ media and public affairs is taking up. It should never have happened.”
He added, “Protesters who attend the National Assembly are entitled and constitutionally protected, and we’re looking into the circumstances that led to that.”
While reaffirming the constitutional right to peaceful protest in Nigeria, Rotimi warned that demonstrations could sometimes be infiltrated by individuals seeking to cause disorder.
“I would also like to encourage that when you have those protests, you should also discourage infiltration by nefarious characters who would want to incite a form of and break down of law and order.
“That’s to say that the National Assembly, the House of Representatives, particularly, is very intentional about public engagement,” he said.
Beyond the apology, Rotimi defended the process that led to the amendment of the Electoral Act. President Bola Tinubu, Nigeria’s Head of State and Government, recently signed the Electoral Act 2026 into law. The legislation will guide preparations for Nigeria’s next general elections scheduled for 2027.
According to Rotimi, civil society organisations were involved throughout the review process.
“As the previous speaker rightly said, throughout the process of the review of the Electoral Act 2022 and now of the Electoral Act 2026, civil society organisations were very much involved,” he said.
“I know that a good number of us, especially in civil society, are not quite pleased with the outcomes (passage of the Electoral Act). But I want to assure you that in terms of the process, the public engagement process was full to the letter.”
He insisted that constitutional procedures and parliamentary rules were followed at every stage of the amendment.
“What we had was very detailed. Every single thing was done in keeping with the Constitution, the House and Senate rules, and all of that.
“I always like to say that democratisation, of which elections are a critical ritual, is a process. We are at this point, and it doesn’t preclude the fact that there are opportunities in the future to amend the Electoral Act further when we have more facts and details before us,” he added.
Okay News reports that the controversy over electronic transmission of results has become one of the most debated aspects of the new law. Civil society groups argue that mandatory real-time electronic transmission would strengthen transparency and public trust in elections.
Rotimi urged Nigerians not to lose confidence in the legislature despite criticism.
“We have acted in the best interest of Nigerians, and we want Nigerians to have some faith, hope and trust in the National Assembly.
“What we have might be an imperfect law, but it is nonetheless done in the best interest of Nigerians. We implore civil society and Nigerians to work with it to ensure that the outcomes will be free, fair, and fairly good elections.”
He also responded to calls for the Independent National Electoral Commission, Nigeria’s constitutionally mandated election management body, to conduct a nationwide simulation of its result transmission system before the next general election.
“We also welcome very much the suggestions that INEC should, as quickly as possible, deploy some sort of simulation of the commission transmission. Let’s test it to know just where the gaps are and ensure that they are fixed.
“I would also like to respond to the suggestion that the National Assembly should very quickly publish the electoral act. I agree. Many of us, because we are privileged, have soft copies of it. But I think it’s something that should be made available to Nigerians.
“Of course, you know that the process is governed by the Authentication Act, which prescribes that the Clerk to the National Assembly will be the one to instruct the government printer to immediately make that available to Nigerians. Everybody needs to be aware of what it is that has been passed,” he noted.
Acknowledging wider public distrust in political institutions, Rotimi said, “I know that trust, apathy and cynicism have been at an all-time low for governments generally and, you know, especially the legislature. But we’ll continue to work hard to regain that trust.”
The conference formed part of ongoing post-legislative engagement between lawmakers and civil society groups following the passage of the Electoral Act 2026, as debate continues ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
