The leaders of the Southern and Middle Belt Leadership Forum (SMBLF) have called on the National Assembly to uphold provisions in the 2026 Electoral Amendment Bill that would make real-time electronic transmission of election results mandatory, warning that any attempt to dilute or remove the clause would undermine Nigeria’s democratic integrity.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Monday and made available to journalists in Kaduna, the forum emphasised that Clause 60 of the bill, as passed by the House of Representatives and harmonised by the National Assembly’s Joint Conference Committee, must remain intact. The group insisted that stripping the real-time provision would “weaken electoral safeguards” and erode citizens’ confidence in the electoral process.
The communiqué was signed by prominent figures including Oba Oladipo Olaitan, Leader of the SMBLF and a key figure in the Yoruba socio-political organisation Afenifere; Dr. Bitrus Pogu, President of the Middle Belt Forum; Senator John Azuta-Mbata, President-General of **Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide; and Ambassador Godknows Igali, National Chairman of PANDEF.
The forum anchored its position on the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Result Viewing Portal, IReV, which enables the public to view polling unit results as they are transmitted from the field. According to the statement, when backed by law, real-time electronic transmission through IReV “removes secrecy, manipulation and post-election confusion” and would help restore faith in Nigeria’s electoral outcomes.
“When properly backed by law, IReV removes secrecy, manipulation and post-election confusion,” the leaders said, adding that mandated electronic transmission would significantly boost public confidence in elections.
The group expressed concern about reports that the Senate altered the harmonised version of the bill by removing the clause mandating real-time transmission, despite several senators having publicly affirmed, in both executive sessions and on the Senate floor, that they supported the compulsory provision.
The forum cited Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Senate Minority Leader, asserting that the Senate had approved a version of the bill mandating electronic transmission, only for a seemingly different version to surface later.
“What later surfaced was not what the Senate approved,” the group quoted Abaribe as saying.
Describing the development as “unacceptable in a democratic legislature,” the SMBLF warned that Nigerians would resist the imposition of an altered electoral law that fell short of democratic expectations.
The leadership forum also recalled the contentious 2023 presidential election petition and the subsequent Supreme Court reliance on Section 60(5) of the 2022 Electoral Act, which made electronic transmission optional rather than mandatory, a loophole, they argue, that should not be repeated.
“The law must be clear, firm and mandatory,” the statement stressed.
Addressing concerns about telecommunications limitations in rural areas, the SMBLF dismissed such arguments as immaterial, noting that INEC’s Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices are capable of storing results offline and uploading them once connectivity is restored.
“This was proven during the 2023 general elections, until the system was deliberately sabotaged during the presidential poll, as most Nigerians believe,” the forum added, asserting that making real-time transmission compulsory would help prevent vote manipulation and protect vulnerable communities.
The group further linked electoral transparency to broader national stability, pointing to widespread insecurity, including the massacre of more than 100 persons in Woro, Kaiama Local Government Area in Kwara State, and arguing that credible elections could lessen political tensions and foster accountability.
The call from the SMBLF comes amid heightened public scrutiny of the Electoral Amendment Bill, particularly after reports that the Senate removed the compulsory real-time transmission clause while retaining a discretionary electronic transfer provision, allowing INEC to decide how and when results are transmitted.
Critics of the Senate’s stance, including civil society groups and advocacy movements like the Obidient Movement Worldwide, have condemned the decision, describing it as a setback that could institutionalise manual collation methods and diminish election credibility.
The ongoing public debate underscores the growing demand among Nigerians for robust mechanisms, particularly technological safeguards, to ensure that votes are accurately counted, transparently shared and visibly reflected in electoral outcomes ahead of the 2027 general elections.
