Civil Society Organizations including Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO), The Kukah Centre, International Press Centre (IPC), Elect Her, Nigerian Women Trust Fund, TAF Africa and Yiaga Africa, have urged the Senate to adopt the House of Reps position on mandatory electronic transmission of results.
The appeal was made during a press conference held at Abuja Continental Hotel, on Monday.
They expressed deep concerns over the Senate's rejection of electronic transmission of election results and use of downloaded missing or unissued voter cards for elections, as well as shortening of critical electoral timelines.
According to them, the divergence between the Senate and the House of Representatives on these amendments has profound implications for the integrity of the 2027 general elections.
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They noted that the protracted amendment process has created legal uncertainty that delays INEC's constitutionally mandated electoral preparations, potentially compromising the Commission's ability to conduct credible elections.
The CSOs gave the National Assembly two weeks ultimatum to conclude the amendment process and transmit the final bill to the president.
The statement reads in part, "Subsequent to the Senate vote, public discourse has been saturated with conflicting narratives regarding the precise position of the Senate.
"Three competing narratives have emerged: First, that the Senate approved real-time electronic transmission; Second, that existing Electoral Act 2022 provisions granting INEC discretionary powers over the procedure for results management were retained; and third, that the Senate substituted "transmit" with "transfer" and removed the qualifier "real-time" from its version.
"It is deeply concerning that legislation of such significance is mired in political contestation.
The CSO's, however, urged INEC to issue the election timetable and schedule for the 2027 general election in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 without further delay.
They warned that delay in concluding the electoral amendment would introduce legal uncertainty that may compromise preparations for the 2027 elections.
The statement added, "Legal uncertainty created by ongoing amendments has apparently deterred INEC from releasing the timetable for the 2027 elections, placing the Commission in potential violation of the extant law. The 2022 Electoral Act remains operative until amended. The inchoate status of the Electoral Bill does not suspend INEC's statutory obligations.
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"INEC's established policy framework schedules general elections for the third Saturday of February in the election year, a convention designed to provide certainty for electoral stakeholders, facilitate systematic planning, and accommodate potential contingencies such as reruns, runoff elections, and post-election litigation.
"Applying this framework to the 2027 cycle yields an election date of February 20, 2027, requiring notice issuance by February 24, 2026."
