The House of Representatives on Tuesday witnessed a dramatic walkout by opposition lawmakers following the adoption of a revised clause in the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025, reigniting debates over technological reforms and practical challenges in Nigeria’s elections.
The dispute arose from differences between the House and the Senate over the transmission of election results. While the House initially endorsed real-time electronic uploads from polling units to the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IREV), the Senate introduced a manual fallback for areas with network failures. A Conference Committee harmonised the two versions, but the revised clause faced resistance from some House members who argued it weakened electronic transmission mandates.
Under the revised Section 60(3), presiding officers must electronically transmit polling unit results via Form EC8A, signed and countersigned by candidates or agents. If transmission fails, the paper forms serve as the official source for collation and declaration.
Tensions peaked when Speaker Tajudeen Abbas put a motion to rescind the clause to a voice vote. Despite loud opposition, the speaker proceeded, prompting Minority Leader Hon. Kingsley Chinda to lead a walkout. Opposition lawmakers later addressed journalists, condemning the revisions as anti-people and a betrayal of commitments to strengthen electoral transparency.
In the Senate, a similar debate divided lawmakers. A motion by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele and Senator Simon Lalong led to the adoption of a version without strict real-time electronic transmission. The upper chamber also amended election notice requirements to accommodate Ramadan 2027, raising concerns about compliance with legal timelines.
Experts, including Prof. Itse Sagay, former PACAC chairman, warned that removing the manual backup is risky. Sagay said Nigeria’s current technology cannot fully guarantee real-time electronic results and stressed that paper ballots remain essential for election integrity.
The developments highlight the challenges of balancing technological reforms, transparency, and practical realities in Nigeria’s electoral process ahead of the 2027 elections
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