The Senate has amended the Electoral Act to permit the electronic transmission of election results, introducing safeguards to address possible technical challenges.
The move follows the upper chamber’s decision on Tuesday to rescind its earlier position rejecting compulsory electronic transmission from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
Under the amendment, lawmakers approved electronic transmission — without the “real-time” provision — as part of the electoral process. Electronic uploading is designated as the primary method, while Form EC8A will serve as a fallback in the event of internet connectivity failure.
In such cases, results may be transmitted manually using Form EC8A, duly signed and stamped by the presiding officer. However, the provision raised concerns among some lawmakers, particularly over reliance on the form in resolving disputes.
The debate exposed sharp divisions in the chamber, prompting Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe to request an individual vote to determine lawmakers’ positions. He later withdrew the request, after which the proceedings were adopted.
Meanwhile, the Senate constituted a 12-member conference committee to harmonise differences between its version of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill and that of the House of Representatives.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the committee during an emergency plenary session, stating:
“After consultation with the leadership, we have moved the number from nine to 12. I will now read out the names of the conference committee members from the Senate.”
Members include Senator Simon Bako Lalong (Chairman), Mohammed Tahir Monguno, Adamu Aliero, Orji Uzor Kalu, Abba Moro, Asuquo Ekpenyong, Aminu Iya Abbas, Tokunbo Abiru, Niyi Adegbonmire (SAN), Jibrin Isah, Ipalibo Banigo and Onyekachi Nwebonyi.
Akpabio urged the committee to treat the assignment as urgent, expressing optimism that the harmonised bill would be transmitted to President Bola Tinubu for assent within February. He said he expects the President to sign it into law within a week of submission.
Proceedings during Tuesday’s sitting were tense, marked by interruptions and heated exchanges after lawmakers debated a motion sponsored by Senator Monguno seeking to rescind approval of Clause 60(3) of the Electoral Act (Repeal and Enactment) Bill, 2026.
The revised framework — backed by Akpabio — designates electronic transmission as the primary mode of uploading results while allowing manual submission strictly in cases of technical failure.
The emergency session followed public backlash over recent changes to the Act, particularly the removal of the real-time transmission requirement. The controversy triggered nationwide protests, including the Occupy National Assembly demonstration in Abuja, with civil society groups, opposition parties and political figures such as Peter Obi and Rotimi Amaechi calling for mandatory real-time electronic transmission to enhance electoral transparency.
