The Nigerian Senate has voted against an amendment that would have made the electronic transmission of election results mandatory for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The proposed change, part of the ongoing Electoral Amendment Bill, sought to revise Clause 60, Subsection 3 of the Electoral Act. It would have required presiding officers at polling units to upload results in real time to INEC’s IReV (INEC Result Viewing) portal immediately after Form EC8A (Statement of Result) was duly signed and stamped by the presiding officer and countersigned by party agents.
Instead, the Senate chose to retain the existing provision in the Electoral Act 2022, which states: “the presiding officer shall transfer the results, including the total number of accredited voters and the results of the ballot, in a manner as prescribed by the Commission.”
The decision means that electronic transmission of polling unit results remains optional and at the discretion of INEC, rather than a compulsory requirement backed by law.
The rejection comes amid long-standing public and civil society demands for full electronic transmission to enhance transparency, reduce manipulation, and build greater confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process following controversies in previous elections, particularly the 2023 general polls.
Proponents of the amendment had argued that making real-time electronic upload mandatory would minimize delays, prevent result tampering during collation, and align with global best practices in digital election management.
Opponents, however, maintained that such a provision could face technical, logistical, and security challenges in areas with poor internet connectivity or during network disruptions, potentially disenfranchising voters or creating new vulnerabilities.
Further details on the debate, voting breakdown, and any accompanying explanations from senators are expected to emerge as proceedings continue.
This development is likely to reignite discussions on electoral reform ahead of future elections, including the 2027 general polls.
