The Senate on Tuesday reversed its earlier stance and approved electronic transmission of election results to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing Portal (IReV), but stopped short of eliminating manual collation as a fallback.
The dramatic shift followed days of protests, mounting public outrage and sustained pressure from opposition leaders and civil society groups who accused lawmakers of weakening electoral safeguards ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Emergency reconsideration sparks tension
The turnaround occurred during an emergency plenary convened to revisit Clause 60(3) of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, 2026.
What began as a procedural motion quickly spiraled into heated exchanges across party lines. Senators raised competing points of order as concerns mounted over the removal of the phrase “real-time” from the revised clause.
Objections intensified when the wording was altered, triggering protests on the floor before the chamber eventually settled the matter through a voice vote.
What the new provision means
Under the adopted amendment, presiding officers must electronically transmit polling unit results to the IReV portal after completing and signing Form EC8A.
However, where network or communication failures make transmission impossible, the signed physical result sheet will become the primary basis for collation and declaration.
The Senate’s refusal to expressly mandate real-time upload remains the central source of controversy, with critics arguing that the fallback provision could create loopholes in areas with weak connectivity.
Harmonisation and next steps
To fast-track the process, the Senate constituted a 12-member conference committee to reconcile differences between its version of the bill and that passed by the House of Representatives.
Once harmonised, the legislation will be transmitted to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
Opposition leaders reject compromise
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar dismissed the blended system of electronic and manual transmission as inadequate, warning it could generate confusion and weaken transparency.
Former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi joined protesters at the National Assembly, arguing that real-time transmission would reduce election-related violence and restore trust.
Nasir El-Rufai, former Kaduna State governor, criticised the Senate’s resistance to mandatory real-time uploads, describing it as politically motivated.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan openly backed calls for compulsory real-time transmission, saying Nigerians deserve stronger democratic safeguards.
Activist Omoyele Sowore also addressed demonstrators, calling for sustained civic mobilisation beyond the current legislative battle.
Parties and civil society remain wary
The Peoples Democratic Party described the manual backup clause as a disguised rollback of reforms, while the New Nigeria People’s Party warned that claims of network failure could be exploited in critical polling units.
Civil society organisations insisted that only mandatory real-time transmission would fully protect electoral integrity, urging lawmakers not to dilute the reform during the harmonisation process.
As attention shifts to the conference committee and presidential assent, the final wording of the amendment is expected to shape public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral system ahead of 2027.
