Stupid design, or installation?

So, I had a leak at this middle hole where toilet cistern attaches to the toilet bowl. I bought a new seal, but I can't reattach the cistern to the bowl anymore.

Three small holes in the middle are where the cistern is mounted. Three screws go into the cistern, pass through these holes, and at the bottom the wing nuts are supposed to be installed from below. The issue is that I can’t access the wing nuts from anywhere, nor can I even place them, because they would just drop down. The only possible access point is at the back, but the toilet is right against the wall, so there is no space to reach in.