The National Assembly on Tuesday approved the electronic transmission of election results for the 2027 general elections, but retained manual collation as a backup, sparking protests, walkouts by opposition lawmakers, and heated debates in both chambers.
In the Senate, 15 opposition senators, led by Enyinnaya Abaribe (ADC, Abia South), opposed Clause 60(3), which designates the manually completed Form EC8A as the primary source of results if electronic transmission fails. Despite tensions, a voice vote saw 55 senators, including ruling party members and some opposition lawmakers, approve the provision.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio described the session as a landmark moment, highlighting that electronic transmission of polling unit results to the IReV portal allows both domestic and foreign observers to track results in real time, while the signed Form EC8A remains the foundation for collation and declaration where technology fails.
In the House of Representatives, opposition members staged a walkout, protesting what they described as attempts by leadership to limit mandatory real-time electronic transmission. Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda said the clause should prioritize electronically transmitted results over paper forms to prevent manipulation.
The contentious session also touched on Section 84, which limits candidate selection to direct primaries and consensus. Opposition lawmakers insisted that political parties should retain autonomy to choose their preferred method of nomination.
Outside the National Assembly, protesters, including former Minister of Education Oby Ezekwesili, decried perceived loopholes in the bill, calling for full transparency and instant electronic transmission to safeguard democracy.
The controversies followed amendments to Clause 28, allowing INEC flexibility to adjust the 2027 election timetable, particularly to avoid conflicts with Ramadan and logistical challenges. Both chambers now await harmonisation by the conference committee before the bill is transmitted to the President.
Despite procedural clashes and protests, lawmakers defended the amendments as necessary to balance innovation in election technology with reliability and inclusivity, ensuring results are accurate, verifiable, and accessible to observers.
