Nigeria: Senate Rejects Mandatory E-Transmission of Election Results

The Senate yesterday rejected a proposed amendment to Clause 60, Subsection 3 of the Electoral Act 2022 which sought to make the electronic transmission of election results mandatory.

The Senate's rejection of the amendment to the electoral law has sparked criticisms from the opposition and civil society organisations, who accused the upper chamber of attempting to undermine the credibility of the 2027 elections.

Besides the e-transmission clause, the Senate also rejected a proposed 10-year jail term for buyers and sellers of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) under Clause 22, opting instead to retain a two-year imprisonment term while increasing the fine from ₦2 million to ₦5 million.

These were the high points of the Senate passage of the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Reenactment) Amendment Bill 2026 through third reading.

The rejected provision would have required presiding officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to electronically transmit results from each polling unit to the IREV portal in real time, after the prescribed Form EC&A had been signed and stamped by the presiding officer and countersigned by candidates' agents.

Instead, the Senate adopted the existing provision of the Electoral Act, which states that "the presiding officer shall transfer the results, including the total number of accredited voters and the results of the ballot, in a manner as prescribed by the Commission."

The House of Representatives had earlier amended the clause providing for mandatory transmission of election results.

The e-transmission of results was a contentious issue in the 2023 presidential election when results from polling units stopped being uploaded due to what the INEC called "a technical glitch."

However, the results of the federal legislative elections, held at the same time as the presidential election, were uploaded in real time.

However, the 9th National Assembly declined to make the e-transmission of results mandatory, while the then INEC, led by Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, assured that it would ensure results were transmitted electronically in real time.

The "technical glitch" explanation by INEC marked a controversial end of the 2023 voting cycle and sparked doubts about INEC's integrity. Since then many pro-democracy organisations, opposition parties and individuals have been calling for mandatory electronic transmission of polling booth results to rule out possible human error or interference.

Debate on e-transmission, vote buying, others

The Senate passed the Electoral Bill 2026 after hours of intense debate, rejecting a proposal to make the real-time electronic transmission of election results mandatory while approving sweeping amendments that significantly shorten election timelines, revise penalties for electoral offences, and replace the smart card reader with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).

At the heart of the controversy was Section 60 of the bill, which dealt with the transmission of election results.

Senators voted down a recommendation by the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters that sought to compel presiding officers to upload polling unit results to the Independent National Electoral Commission's (INEC) IREV portal "in real time."

Instead, the Red Chamber retained the provision contained in the 2022 Electoral Act, which mandates electronic transmission of results in a manner prescribed by INEC after votes have been counted and announced at the polling units.

Under the retained provision, the presiding officer is required to count votes at the polling unit, record the scores on prescribed forms, announce the results publicly, and transmit the results electronically to the appropriate collation centre as directed by the Commission. Copies of the result forms are to be issued to polling agents and, where available, to security personnel.

Any presiding officer who willfully contravenes the provision is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding N500,000 or imprisonment for a minimum of six months.

The rejected amendment would have gone further by expressly compelling real-time upload of results to the IREV portal immediately after the signing of Form EC8A, with stiffer penalties attached.

Senators opposing the proposal argued that the phrase "real time" could be problematic, especially in areas with weak or non-existent network coverage, and could expose elections to avoidable legal disputes.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Adeyemi Adaramodu, said the disagreement was largely about semantics rather than substance.

He maintained that the Senate had not removed electronic transmission of results, stressing that results would still be made available to the public electronically alongside physical result forms.

According to him, both electronic and manual records would continue to serve as correlating evidence in the event of disputes.

Beyond the debate on results transmission, the Senate adopted far-reaching changes to Nigeria's electoral calendar.

Lawmakers reduced the election notice period from 360 days to 180 days before the current administration's tenure expires.

The deadline for political parties to submit their lists of candidates was also shortened from 120 to 90 days, while the nomination deadline was cut from 180 to 90 days.

In a move aimed at strengthening deterrence against electoral malpractice, the Senate increased the fine for unlawful possession of voters' cards from N500,000 to N5 million.

However, it rejected a proposal to impose a 10-year ban on individuals convicted of vote buying from participating in political activities, opting instead for stiffer financial penalties.

The lawmakers also formally removed the smart card reader from the electoral framework and replaced it with BVAS, while retaining provisions for electronic transmission of results.

Other amendments clarified the consequences of candidate disqualification, particularly in cases involving forged or fake documents. Under the new provisions, political parties would no longer be allowed to replace candidates disqualified after an election, and where necessary, fresh polls would be conducted, excluding both the disqualified candidate and the sponsoring party.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who presided over the lengthy session that stretched into the evening, dismissed claims circulating on social media that the Senate had rejected electronic transmission of results.

"That is not true," he said. "What we did was to retain the electronic transmission that existed in the 2022 Act. Retaining that provision means electronic transmission remains part of our law."

He stated this in reaction to reports which circulated on social media claiming that the Senate rejected the electronic transmission of election results during consideration of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill

He further stated that there was no attempt to delay or frustrate the passage of the Electoral Act.

Akpabio praised senators for their endurance and commitment, noting that the chamber remained full long after normal sitting hours.

He said the extensive deliberations reflected the importance lawmakers attached to producing an electoral law that addresses Nigerians' concerns and strengthens confidence in the democratic process.

The Senate President also announced the composition of a conference committee to harmonise the Senate's version of the bill with that earlier passed by the House of Representatives.

The committee will be chaired by Senator Simon Lalong, with members drawn from all geopolitical zones, including Senators Adamu Aliero, Orji Uzor Kalu, Abba Moro, Asuquo Ekpeyong, Aminu Iya Abbas and Tokunbo Abiru. Senator Adeniyi Adegbomire was added to the team to provide legal guidance.

Akpabio said the harmonisation committee had been mandated to conclude its work within a month to enable the National Assembly transmit a final version of the bill to the President for assent.

He added that the Senate would adjourn plenary to focus on the consideration of the 2026 budget, with the Appropriations Committee expected to release a timetable for budget defence by ministries and agencies.

With the passage of the Electoral Bill 2026 at third reading, attention now turns to the outcome of the conference committee and the final contours of Nigeria's electoral framework ahead of future elections, amid continuing public scrutiny of how technology and timelines will shape the credibility of the polls.

Electronic transmission would have curbed rigging at collation centres - PDP

Reacting to the development, the national publicity secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Comrade Ini Ememobong, described the Senate's rejection of the mandatory electronic transmission of results as sad, saying it would have curbed rigging at collation centres as witnessed in many elections.

He likened the Senate's act to electoral authoritarianism.

"He told LEADERSHIP:"Our legislators must remember that they are delegates of the citizens and must ensure they reflect their constituents' desires and wishes.

"I am certain that if you held a referendum across Nigeria on the electronic transmission of results, the answer would be a resounding Yes. Until we take the bold step of improving our election processes, our democracy cannot improve.

"The politicians, especially our legislators, intend to usher in electoral authoritarianism by continuing to reject the advancement of our electoral process.

"It's indeed sad because we know that electronic transmission would have cured the rigging at the collation centres as witnessed in many elections," he said.

Ememobong noted that the rejection contradicted the expectations of Nigerians across all 109 senatorial districts who, he said, have consistently demanded greater transparency in the electoral process.

According to him, electronic transmission of results remains a key mechanism for curbing the manipulation and alteration of votes between polling units and collation centres.

"We are all witnesses to the widespread practice of altering results before they arrive at the collation centre or even at the centre itself," the statement read. "Electronic transmission would have brought an end to this ignoble practice that has been used to subvert the will of the people."

The PDP stated that the Senate's position indicated an unwillingness to legislate for electoral integrity, describing the development as "a sad day for electoral democracy."

Ememobong urged the National Assembly to revisit its decision and approve the electronic transmission clause, which he said was the "minimum amendment needed to restore public confidence in the electoral system."

He warned that failure to adopt such reforms could worsen voter apathy, which was already evident in the last general election, adding that sustained public distrust would further weaken democratic consolidation.

The PDP called on lawmakers to align with their constituents' aspirations and ensure that future elections reflect the true choices of the electorate.

CSOs Kick As Senate Rejects Mandatory E-transmission Of Election Results, Demand Reversal

Similarly, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have kicked against the resolution of the Senate rejecting the proposed mandatory electronic transmission of election results in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, 2025.

The CSOs, including the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Transition Monitoring Group, Transparency International, CREAP Africa Initiative, and Yiaga Africa, called for the reversal of the Senate's decision in order to restore Nigerians' confidence in the electoral process.

Executive director of CISLAC and head of Transition Monitoring Group, as well as Transparency International, Auwal Musa-Rafsanjani, described the Senate decision as sad and unfortunate.

Musa-Rafsanjani, in an interview with LEADERSHIP, urged the Red Chamber to have a rethink, arguing that jettisoning the electronic transmission of election results will open doors and windows for manipulation and disputes over the results.

"This is really sad and very unfortunate that the Nigerian Senate, under the leadership of Akpabio, is dashing the hope of Nigeria to move progressively and positively forward with the electoral law by reducing potential damage and lack of confidence of Nigerians in the electoral law by refusing to mainstream technology into electoral act amendments.

"This will further create distrust or mistrust about the ability of the INEC to conduct free, fair and credible elections."

He reminded the National Assembly that it had the responsibility to make laws for good governance, for the development of the country.

He went on: "One of the ways in which they can demonstrate that is to ensure that the electoral process, which has been of great concern to Nigerians and the international community, that they do the needful by amending it to mainstream new ways in which they can improve electoral transparency and to also boost confidence in Nigerians and even showcase this to other countries.

"We have seen how terrible it is to continue to organise elections with a manual process without transmitting the election results electronically. Actually, it opens doors and windows for manipulation and for disputes over the election results.

"This has not been a good story for Nigerians to hear, and therefore we are urging them to revise their stance, to align with the Nigerians' demand for an improved electoral process, to align themselves with the best practice in Nigeria. This is our urgent call on the National Assembly to ensure that that is done," he added.

In like manner, executive director, CREAP Africa Initiative, Sylvanus Udoenoh, said the rejection of the proposed amendment to make electronic transmission of election results mandatory is a deeply disappointing setback for Nigeria's electoral reform efforts.

"At a time when public trust in elections remains fragile, weakening a provision that would have guaranteed transparency, speed, and verifiability of results sends the wrong signal to citizens.

"Electronic transmission is no longer an innovation but a necessary safeguard against manipulation at collation centres. By retaining discretionary language, the Senate has left room for ambiguity and abuse, which has historically undermined electoral credibility.

"The decision contradicts the spirit of electoral integrity and risks eroding public confidence ahead of the 2027 elections; it underscores the urgent need for lawmakers to prioritise democratic trust over political convenience," Udoenoh.

Similarly, the executive director of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, said the Senate's decision on electronic transmission of election results and other aspects of the proposed electoral law is injurious to the quest for credible polls.

In a tweet shared with LEADERSHIP, Itodo expressed optimism that the Conference Committee of the National Assembly will reject the Senate's position and restore the progressive provisions that will make votes count in 2027.

"Today, the Nigerian Senate rejected electronic transmission of results, blocked the download of electronic voter cards from the INEC website, reduced notice of election from 360 days to 180 days, and cut down the timeline for publishing the list of candidates from 150 days to 60 days.

"These compressed timelines will increase the risk of logistics problems during elections. What the Senate passed today is not reform. It is a betrayal of public trust and a deliberate attempt to weaken all the guardrails for credible elections.

"The Senate's position sharply contrasts with the progressive position taken by the House of Representatives. We hope the Conference committee will reject the Senate's position and restore the progressive provisions that will make votes count in 2027," the tweet reads.

Read the original article on Leadership.

Nigeria: Senate Rejects Mandatory E-Transmission of Election Results

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