The Senate has approved the electronic transmission of election results to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Result Viewing Portal (IReV), while allowing manual collation as a backup in cases where electronic transmission fails.
The decision followed a reconsideration of a disputed clause in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill during an emergency plenary session on Tuesday.
Under the revised provision, presiding officers are required to electronically transmit results from each polling unit to the IReV portal after completing documentation and signing the official result sheet, Form EC8A.
However, the Senate stopped short of making electronic transmission mandatory in all circumstances and rejected proposals for real-time upload of election results.
The amendment provides that where electronic transmission cannot be completed due to network failure or communication challenges, the manually completed Form EC8A will serve as the primary basis for collation and declaration of results.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, while presiding over the session, explained that the motion was intended to rescind an earlier Senate decision regarding Section 60, Subsection 3 of the Electoral Act.
He clarified that the updated provision requires presiding officers to electronically transmit polling unit results after the forms have been properly signed and stamped, and countersigned by party agents where available.
Akpabio added that the amendment also recognises situations where electronic transmission may be impossible, allowing manual result sheets to take precedence in such cases.
The development has generated concerns among civil society groups and opposition figures, who argue that allowing manual results to override electronic transmission could weaken transparency and increase the risk of manipulation, particularly in areas with poor network coverage.
The amendment is part of ongoing efforts to reform Nigeria’s electoral framework ahead of future elections, with lawmakers seeking to balance the use of technology with practical challenges such as infrastructure limitations.
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