The Nigerian Senate rejected a proposed amendment to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill that would have made real-time electronic transmission of election results from polling units compulsory. Lawmakers opted instead to retain the existing clause in the 2022 Electoral Act, which simply allows the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to transmit results “in a manner as prescribed by the Commission,” without mandating how and when that transmission must occur.
The rejected change was contained in Clause 60, Subsection 3 of the Electoral Amendment Bill, a provision that, if approved, would have required INEC presiding officers to upload election results to the electoral body’s Result Viewing Portal (IREV) in real time, immediately after completing and signing Form EC8A with party agents present at polling units.
Supporters of the amendment had argued the measure, which has been a key proposal in ongoing electoral reform debates, would enhance transparency and curb manipulation of results during collation. As one recommendation put forward in the bill’s earlier committee report stated, “INEC shall electronically transmit election results from each polling unit to the IREV portal in real time and such transmission shall be done simultaneously with physical collation of results.”
However, during Wednesday’s session, senators resisted this push, voting to preserve the existing text of the law. Under current provisions, presiding officers are mandated only to “transfer the results…in a manner as prescribed by the Commission,” without specifying electronic upload in real time.
Opposition to the compulsory amendment stems from a range of concerns, including questions about infrastructure, network reliability across the country, and whether adequate legal frameworks are in place to enforce real-time digital reporting in every polling unit. While advocates for reform, including civil society organisations, have repeatedly urged the National Assembly to make electronic transmission mandatory as part of broader reforms, Wednesday’s vote showed lingering divisions within the Senate on this issue.
The rejection comes amid heightened national attention on the broader Electoral Act (Repeal and Enactment) Bill, 2025, which the legislature has been deliberating as part of preparations for the 2027 general elections. Proponents of the bill maintain it contains a suite of reforms aimed at curbing electoral malpractice, increasing penalties for election offences, introducing electronically generated voter identification, and enhancing transparency and credibility in Nigeria’s electoral process.
But the Senate’s decision to maintain the status quo on electronic transmission marks a setback for one of the most visible reform proposals under consideration, a development certain to reignite debate among political actors, civil society groups, and Nigerians concerned about electoral integrity. Critics warn that without firm legal obligations for real-time results transmission, opportunities for manipulation during collation may persist, undermining public confidence in the electoral system ahead of the nation’s next polls.
