KEY POINTS

• INEC declined to comment on the electoral amendment controversy until lawmakers complete the process.

• The Senate first rejected but later allowed electronic transmission of results with manual backup.

• Senate and House versions differ and must be harmonised before the bill becomes law.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has refused to comment on the controversy surrounding proposed amendments to Nigeria’s electoral law, particularly the disputed provision on real-time transmission of election results.

The debate began after the Nigerian Senate passed an amendment bill following hours of clause-by-clause consideration that included shortening the election notice period from 360 days to 180 days.

At the centre of the disagreement is clause 60(3), which sought to make electronic transmission of polling unit results mandatory and immediate through direct upload to the result viewing portal. Critics argued that removing the clause weakened transparency.

Civil society groups protested at the National Assembly Complex, with figures such as Peter Obi and Rotimi Amaechi joining demonstrations on successive days.

Senate makes partial reversal

During an emergency sitting, lawmakers revisited the issue and approved electronic transmission of results while allowing manual collation where technology fails.

The motion was introduced by Tahir Monguno and supported by Senate minority leader Abba Moro, who stressed the need to balance transparency with Nigeria’s infrastructure realities. Senate President Godswill Akpabio presided over the vote, where approval was secured by voice vote.

Unlike the Senate, the House of Representatives had earlier endorsed compulsory real-time transmission. Both chambers are now expected to reconcile their versions of the bill before final passage.

When contacted through spokesman Adedayo Oketola for chairman Joash Amupitan, the commission said it would not comment while legislative work is still ongoing. According to the statement, INEC will only respond once the amendment process is concluded and the final law is clear.