KEY POINTS

• Senate rejected a proposal to make real-time electronic transmission of election results mandatory.

• Lawmakers insist electronic transmission remains in law but under INEC’s discretion.

• PDP and civil society groups say the decision weakens transparency and threatens election credibility.

The Nigerian Senate has rejected a proposal seeking to make the electronic transmission of election results mandatory in real time, a decision that has triggered strong reactions from opposition parties and civil society organisations ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The controversial decision came during the passage of the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Reenactment) Amendment Bill 2026 through third reading. Lawmakers voted down an amendment to Clause 60(3) that would have expressly compelled presiding officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to upload polling unit results directly to the IREV portal in real time after signing result forms.

Instead, the Senate retained the existing provision of the 2022 Electoral Act, which allows presiding officers to transmit results electronically “in a manner as prescribed by the Commission.”

What the Retained Provision Says

Under the retained clause, presiding officers must:

• Count votes at polling units

• Record results on prescribed forms

• Announce results publicly

• Transmit results electronically to collation centres as directed by INEC

Any officer who willfully violates the provision faces a fine of up to ₦500,000 or a minimum of six months imprisonment.

Senate Defends Decision, Cites Network Challenges

Some senators argued that inserting the phrase “real time” into the law could create legal complications, particularly in remote areas with poor or non-existent internet coverage.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Adeyemi Adaramodu, said the disagreement was largely about wording rather than substance.

He maintained that the Senate did not abolish electronic transmission, stressing that results would still be transmitted electronically and backed by physical result forms, both of which would serve as evidence in the event of disputes.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio also dismissed claims that lawmakers rejected electronic transmission entirely.

“What we did was to retain the electronic transmission that existed in the 2022 Act. Retaining that provision means electronic transmission remains part of our law,” Akpabio said.