The Senate has amended the Electoral Act to permit the electronic transmission of election results, leaving safeguards to address potential technical challenges.
The decision follows the upper chamber’s move on Tuesday to rescind its earlier position, which had rejected the compulsory electronic transmission of results from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Result Viewing Portal (IREV).
Following the new amendment, the Senate approved electronic transmission (without the real time phrase) as part of the electoral process but stipulated that where internet connectivity fails, the Form EC8A will remain the primary instrument for result collation.
Under the proposal, electronic transmission would serve as the primary method of uploading results.
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However, in the event of technical challenges such as network failures, the motion provides for a fallback option allowing the manual transmission of results using Form EC8A, duly signed and stamped by the presiding officer.
The proposal, however, sparked concerns among lawmakers, particularly over the reliance on Form EC8A as the primary source of election results, where disputes arise.
The differing views led to sharp divisions on the floor of the Senate, prompting Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe to call for an individual vote on the matter to clearly determine the position of each lawmaker.
However, rather surprisingly, Senator Abaribe withdrew his call for individual votes moments later.
The votes and proceedings were then approved and adopted by the upper chamber.
12-member committee
Meanwhile, the upper chamber has appointed 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 decision during an emergency plenary session on Tuesday.
“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,” Akpabio said on the floor of the Senate.
The members are:
1. Senator Simon Bako Lalong – Chairman
2. Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno – Member
3. Senator Adamu Aliero – Member
4. Senator Orji Uzor Kalu – Member
5. Senator Abba Moro – Member
6. Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong – Member
7. Senator Aminu Iya Abbas – Member
8. Senator Tokunbo Abiru – Member
9. Senator Niyi Adegbonmire (SAN) – Member
10. Senator Jibrin Isah – Member
11. Senator Ipalibo Banigo – Member
12. Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi – Member
‘Tinubu to sign bill February’
He urged the committee to treat its assignment as urgent, expressing optimism that the process could be concluded swiftly.
The Senate President said that the outcome would be transmitted promptly to President Bola Tinubu for assent within February.
He expressed optimism that President Bola Tinubu, in the next one week, would sign the bill into law as an act of Parliament.
Rowdy session
Proceedings at Tuesday’s Senate sitting became tense, as repeated interruptions and heated exchanges disrupted debates in the Red Chamber.
The atmosphere shifted after lawmakers began deliberation on a motion sponsored by Senator Tahir Monguno, which triggered sharp divisions among members.
Monguno proposed that the Senate rescind its earlier approval of Clause 60(3) of the Electoral Act (Repeal and Enactment) Bill, 2026—a provision that outlines the process for transmitting election results electronically.
The debate culminated in Senate President Godswill Akpabio lending his support to a revised framework that designates electronic transmission as the primary mode of uploading results, while allowing manual submission via Form EC8A strictly where technical challenges occur.
Controversial clause
The Senate’s emergency plenary session followed mounting public outrage over recent changes to the Electoral Act, with particular attention on provisions governing the electronic transmission of election results.
At the heart of the dispute is Clause 60(3), which the Senate amended last week by removing the requirement for real-time electronic transmission. Instead, lawmakers retained the 2022 Electoral Act provision granting the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) the discretion to determine how election results are transmitted.
The decision sparked nationwide protests, including the Occupy National Assembly demonstration in Abuja. Civil society groups, opposition parties, and high-profile political figures such as Peter Obi and Rotimi Amaechi joined the calls for mandatory real-time electronic transmission, arguing that it is essential to improving the transparency and credibility of elections.
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