The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday passed the electronic transmission of election results section of the Electoral Bill after a heated deliberation, throwing the chamber into frenzy and disarray momentarily. In the contest was the consideration of a proposal to overturn a previous decision on the electronic transmission of election results in the Electoral Act Amendment
The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday passed the electronic transmission of election results section of the Electoral Bill after a heated deliberation, throwing the chamber into frenzy and disarray momentarily. In the contest was the consideration of a proposal to overturn a previous decision on the electronic transmission of election results in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2026.
As the debate progressed in the red chamber of the Senate, there were hundreds of protesters outside the National Assembly chanting different songs with #Occupy NASS, asking the Senate to adopt the electronic transmission of election results in real time.
Two former ministers, Rotimi Amaechi of Transportation and Minister of Transportation and Solomon Dalung, joined the activists on Tuesday. This followed Monday’s protest led by former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi.
It was a significant reversal of its earlier decision that rescinded its earlier rejection of real-time transmission from the previous week, which had sparked widespread public criticism.
The approval came after Senators debated a motion moved by Tahir Monguno, seeking to rescind the chamber’s earlier rejection of real-time transmission of election results.
The Senate passed an amended Clause 60(3), permitting presiding officers at polling units to electronically transmit results to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Result Viewing (IReV) portal after Form EC8A has been duly completed and signed.
According to Senator Monguno, “I was the one who moved the motion for the existing act. The Senate is an embodiment of the representative will of the people. We need to make the electoral act a replica of the will of the people.
Under the approved amendment, where electronic transmission is disrupted by network or communication challenges, the manually completed EC8A form will constitute the primary basis for collation and declaration of results.
The motion was seconded by Abba Moro, Senate minority leader, who supported the view that electoral laws must reflect both transparency objectives and the infrastructural realities across the country.
He cited the Senate Order 72 rule, which states that “any Senator may challenge the opinion of the President or the Chairman by claiming a division.”
Background of the E-Transmission Clause
The earlier recommendation of the electoral act states, “The Presiding Officer shall, after counting the votes at the polling unit, enter the votes scored by each candidate in a form to be prescribed by the Commission.
“The form shall be signed and stamped by the presiding officer and countersigned by the candidates or their polling agents, where available, at the polling unit.
“The Presiding Officer shall electronically transmit the results from each polling unit to the IREV portal in real time, and such transmission shall be done after the prescribed form has been signed and stamped by the Presiding Officer and/or countersigned by the candidates or polling agents where available at the polling unit.
“The Presiding Officer shall count and announce the result at the polling unit.
“The presiding officer shall transmit the results, including the total number of accredited voters, to the next level of collation.”
Instead, the Senate retained the provision contained in the extant 2022 Electoral Act, which provides for the electronic transfer of results in a manner prescribed by INEC after votes are counted and announced at the polling unit.
During the debate, Tahir Mongunu, the Senate’s Chief Whip, drew attention to the wording of the law, stating that the chamber should retain the word ‘transfer’ as already enshrined in the 2022 Act.
His position was immediately seconded by Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, after which Senate President Godswill Akpabio endorsed the retention of the existing provision.
The retained section of the Electoral Act provides that “the presiding officer shall, after counting the votes at the polling unit, enter the votes scored by each candidate in a form to be prescribed by the Commission as the case may be.”
“The form shall be signed and stamped by the presiding officer and countersigned by the candidates or their polling agents, where available, at the polling unit.
“The presiding officer shall give to the polling agents and the police officer, where available, a copy each of the completed forms after it has been duly signed as provided under subsection 2.
“The presiding officer shall count and announce the result at the polling unit.”
“What we passed is the transmission of results. The distinction is important. What is in the 2022 Act is ‘transfer’, but we do not want a law that is vague or capable of misinterpretation.
“We want a law that is clear, concise, and unambiguous for the electronic transmission of results.”
However, this led to controversy and protest at the National Assembly in Abuja as protesters gathered at the entrance of the complex, insisting on the inclusion of “real-time electronic transmission” in the electoral amendment bill.
Benefits of E-Transmission of Results
The approval of the new Clause 60(3) on electronic transmission of election results carries several key benefits for Nigeria’s electoral process:
Faster Result Collation: With electronic transmission, results from each polling unit can be sent quickly to the next level of collation, reducing delays that often occur when results are physically transported.
Improved Accuracy: Direct electronic transmission minimises human errors in relaying results from polling units to collation centres. It reduces the risk of misreporting or alteration during transport.
Enhanced Transparency: Allowing results to be transmitted electronically makes the process more visible and verifiable to stakeholders, including political parties, observers, and the public.
Backup for Technology Failures: The clause maintains the signed Form EC8A as a primary record if electronic transmission fails. This ensures that results are still legitimate and official even if there are technical issues.
Boosts Public Confidence: By modernising the process and reducing opportunities for manipulation or delays, the provision can increase public trust in election outcomes.
Alignment with Best Practices: Electronic transmission of results is considered a best practice in elections globally. The approval brings Nigeria’s system closer to international standards.
